The FCC’s Incentive Auction Task Force presented additional details on channel repacking software,na key part of the upcoming auction, during a webinar Thursday. The discussion was highly technical.nThe webinar built on data already released by the FCC (http://fcc.us/14HM2Td), though industry officialsntell us there's widespread confusion and many questions at this point from both carriers and broadcasters.nThe FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology Monday released an updated version of thenTVStudy software proposed to be used for checking interference during the incentive auction (http:/fcc.us/16sHm6U). The revised version allows studies of potential interference between U.S. stations andnstations in Canada and Mexico. “Once we have the pair-wise output files from TVStudy ... we can usenthat information, along with data about other incumbents in the band to create a set of constraint files thatncan be used for the repacking process of the incentive auction,” said Brett Tarnutzer, assistant chief of thenFCC Wireless Bureau. “It allows us to assess the feasibility of assigning channels to stations that neednthem in a manner that doesn’t violate the technical restraints represented by the constraint files.” Then“assumption” going into the auction is the FCC won’t require any broadcaster to change its antenna pattern,nsaid Robert Weller, chief of OET’s Technical Analysis Branch. “In fact, we’re obligated by statutento preserve the coverage area and population that existed as [of] Feb. 22, 2012. ... It’s certainly possiblenafter the auction for a station to propose some different facility.” The officials got a question via emailnabout the status of negotiations with Canada. “We're continuing to work with Canada,” Tarnutzer said.n“Certainly we’ll announce any developments in that area when it’s time.” The FCC plans to put the entirenpresentation on its website within the next few days. More webinars on the incentive auction are expected,nWeller said. “TVStudy software is already available, with the most recent version released earliernthis week,” an FCC official said in response to an e-mail. “The July 22 [public notice] referenced makingnadditional information about repacking available, but did not provide any concrete dates or specify exactlynwhat would be made available.”
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