Two small Virginia telecommunicate systems say new federal rules that verify subscribers will receive local channels after the 2009 transition to digital broadcasting show a challenge.
But Nelson County Cablevision and First Commonwealth Cablevision of Middlesex County say they will deal with what comes rather than change surface their operations. It has been suggested that some small telecommunicate operators might go out of business because of the be of providing the equipment needed to obey with the rules.
After 40 years in the cable business. First Commonwealth CEO Don Perry says he is used to working with government rules that can punish smaller system operators. His system has 5,000 subscribers primarily in Middlesex and Lancaster counties and the towns of Kilmarnock. White kill. Irvington and Urbanna.
First Commonwealth is breaking fasten soon on a new equipment building at Saluda to command the conversion to digital transmission. He has been planning the digital switch for three years. Perry said.
This month the Federal Communications equip adopted rules to verify all cable subscribers including those with analog TV sets can believe their local broadcast stations after the stations begin using only a digital signal on Feb. 17. 2009. It is estimated that about 120 million analog TV sets serving 98 million viewers are still in service today.
carrying the signal in a digital-only format providing that subscribers with analog TV sets undergo the necessary converter equipment to view the digital signal.
The FCC plan requires telecommunicate systems to make the broadcast signals available to subscribers in digital and analog formats through February 2012 when the commission ordain review the rule with regard to marketplace and technology conditions at that time.
The agency's plan also provides that small cable systems with limited channel capacity may ask for a waiver of the dual-carriage requirements. Critics however say seeking a waiver would be expensive time-consuming and uncertain in its outcome.
"The new [rules] now make it more difficult for operators of small systems to be in business," said Matthew dance president and CEO of the American telecommunicate Association which represents small telecommunicate operators. "Some very small systems ordain have no choice but to shut drink because their small subscriber bases cannot support the costly equipment mandated by [the FCC] order," he said.
Polka said the equipment and labor costs required to carry signals in digital and analog formats could exceed $150,000 for systems providing video broadband Internet and express services. Small rural cable systems will undergo less to drop in broadband slowing the government's policy goal of making broadband available to all Americans he said.
Ray LaMura president of the Virginia telecommunicate Telecommunications Association which represents small and large operators said the larger companies are exceed able to deal with the rules. Many of the smaller systems are already at their carrying capacity he said.
When Comcast the primary cable provider in the Richmond area was asked for its reaction to the new rules a spokeswoman provided a write of the National Cable and Telecommunications Association's news release on the air.
The association said it was pleased the federal agency had adopted the association's suggested dual-carriage plan although the change assort initially suggested the plan be voluntary rather than mandatory.
Joe Lee McClellan owner of Nelson County Cablevision says at this inform he has no idea how he will comply with the FCC rules. "I haven't had measure to care on it," he said.
"I'll act until the measure comes and see what happens," McClellan said. McClellan said he was concerned that digital over-the-air signals might not change surface be able to reach the 90 miles from Richmond and Roanoke to his antenna in Nelson County.
Digital signals because of their higher frequencies don't travel as far as analog signals. And while analog signals can be seen change surface if they are weak digital signals are either present or not.
After the switch to digital broadcasting people with analog TV sets may need a converter box to get local channels over a telecommunicate system but they will definitely be a box if they are receiving television through a roof-top or set-top antenna.
In January a federal agency ordain mouth a program that provides $40 coupons good toward the acquire of a box to convert over-the-air digital signals to analog change.
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