Federal Communications Commission FCC 17-158 Before the Federal Communications Commission Washington, D.C. 20554 In the Matter of: ) ) Authorizing Permissive Use of the “Next ) GN Docket No. 16-142 Generation” Broadcast Television Standard ) REPORT AND ORDER AND FURTHER NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING Adopted: November 16, 2017 Released: November 20, 2017 Comment Date: [60 days after date of publication in the Federal Register] Reply Comment Date: [90 days after date of publication in the Federal Register] By the Commission: Chairman Pai and Commissioners O’Rielly and Carr issuing separate statements; Commissioners Clyburn and Rosenworcel dissenting and issuing separate statements. TABLE OF CONTENTS Heading Paragraph # I. INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................. 1 II. BACKGROUND.................................................................................................................................... 4 III. AUTHORIZING VOLUNTARY DEPLOYMENT OF ATSC 3.0 ....................................................... 6 A. Authorization of Voluntary Use of ATSC 3.0 Transmissions and Treatment under the Act .......... 6 B. Local Simulcasting......................................................................................................................... 11 1. Local Simulcasting Requirement ............................................................................................ 12 2. Definition of Local Simulcasting ............................................................................................ 22 a. Programming on the 1.0 and 3.0 channels........................................................................ 22 b. Coverage requirements for the ATSC 1.0 simulcast signal.............................................. 29 c. Coverage requirements for ATSC 3.0 signal.................................................................... 39 d. Simulcast exception for LPTV and TV translator stations ............................................... 40 e. Waiver of the simulcasting and coverage requirements ................................................... 46 3. Licensing Issues ...................................................................................................................... 48 a. Licensed simulcast approach ............................................................................................ 48 b. Licensing procedure.......................................................................................................... 53 C. Temporary Use of Vacant Channels .............................................................................................. 60 D. MVPD Carriage ............................................................................................................................. 61 1. Mandatory Carriage of Next Gen TV Stations........................................................................ 62 a. Only 1.0 Channel Has Mandatory Carriage Rights .......................................................... 63 b. Rights of Relocated 1.0 Simulcast Channel...................................................................... 70 2. Notice to MVPDs About Relocation of 1.0 Simulcast Channel.............................................. 75 3. Retransmission Consent Issues ............................................................................................... 77 E. FCC Public Interest Obligations and Other FCC Rules................................................................. 79 1. Applicability of Public Interest Obligations and Other Broadcast Rules to Next Gen TV............................................................................................................................................ 80 2. Next Gen TV Tuner Mandate.................................................................................................. 83 3. On-Air Notice to Consumers About Deployment of ATSC 3.0 Service and ATSC 1.0 Simulcasting............................................................................................................................ 86 4. Ancillary and Supplementary Services ................................................................................... 91 Federal Communications Commission FCC 17-158 5. Interplay with Post-Incentive Auction Transition / Repack .................................................... 93 F. Technical Issues............................................................................................................................. 94 1. Incorporation by Reference of Technical Standards ............................................................... 95 2. Service and Interference Protection....................................................................................... 105 a. Interference Protection of ATSC 1.0 (DTV) Signals...................................................... 106 b. Service and Interference Protection of ATSC 3.0 Signals.............................................. 107 (i) Preservation of Service............................................................................................. 108 (ii) Next Gen TV Service Area ...................................................................................... 110 (iii) Interference Protection ............................................................................................. 111 c. Interference Protection Affecting Other Services........................................................... 113 d. Station Interference Protection Population Inputs .......................................................... 114 3. Next Gen TV Single Frequency Networks (SFNs) ............................................................... 115 IV. FURTHER NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING................................................................... 121 A. Introduction.................................................................................................................................. 121 B. Discussion.................................................................................................................................... 122 1. Local Simulcasting Waivers and Exceptions ........................................................................ 122 2. Temporary Use of Vacant Channels...................................................................................... 126 3. Significantly Viewed Status of Next Gen TV Stations ......................................................... 129 V. PROCEDURAL MATTERS.............................................................................................................. 132 A. Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA)................................................................................................ 132 B. Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)................................................................................................. 134 C. Congressional Review Act........................................................................................................... 136 D. Ex Parte Rules.............................................................................................................................. 137 E. FNPRM Comment Filing Procedures.......................................................................................... 138 F. Additional Information ................................................................................................................ 141 VI. ORDERING CLAUSES..................................................................................................................... 142 APPENDIX A – List of Commenters and Reply Commenters APPENDIX B – Final Rules APPENDIX C – Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis APPENDIX D – Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis I. INTRODUCTION 1. In this Report and Order, we authorize television broadcasters to use the “Next Generation” broadcast television (Next Gen TV) transmission standard, also called “ATSC 3.0” or “3.0,” on a voluntary, market-driven basis. This authorization is subject to broadcasters continuing to deliver current-generation digital television (DTV) service, using the ATSC 1.0 transmission standard, also called “ATSC 1.0” or “1.0,” to their viewers. ATSC 3.0 is the new TV transmission standard developed by Advanced Television Systems Committee as the world’s first Internet Protocol (IP)-based broadcast transmission platform. It merges the capabilities of over-the-air (OTA) broadcasting with the broadband viewing and information delivery methods of the Internet, using the same 6 MHz channels presently allocated for DTV service. This new TV transmission standard promises to allow broadcasters to innovate, improve service, and use their spectrum more efficiently. It also has the potential to enable broadcasters to provide consumers with a more immersive and enjoyable television viewing experience on both home and mobile screens. In addition, ATSC 3.0 will allow broadcasters to offer enhanced public safety capabilities, such as geo-targeting of emergency alerts to tailor information to particular communities and emergency alerting capable of waking up sleeping devices to warn consumers of imminent emergencies, and advanced accessibility options. With today’s action, we aim to facilitate private sector innovation and promote American leadership in the global broadcast industry. 2. We adopt rules in this Order that will afford broadcasters flexibility to deploy ATSC 3.0- based transmissions, while minimizing