WASHINGTON—After 39 months, the FCC has announced that the post-incentive auction transition, which saw many TV stations take part in the repack from their pre-auction channels, has been successfully completed.

As of July 13, the 600 MHz spectrum that the TV stations have vacated and was sold during the broadcast incentive auction is now available for use by wireless mobile broadband services. 

This comes 10 days after phase 10 of the repack was scheduled to conclude on July 3. During the repack, 987 full-power and Class A TV stations were reassigned to new TV channels. To date, the commission says that 99% of those stations have successfully transitioned; those that have not yet made the move were granted short extensions due to unforeseen circumstances, but are still scheduled to complete the repack by the end of the summer. These remaining stations are currently located in the portion of the band allocated for broadcast TV or the duplex gap, and none are expected to delay the deployment of wireless services in the 600 MHz band.

PLUS: FCC Marks Complicated TV Station Repack Deadline(s)

The FCC will continue to work with stations on distributing their reimbursements for relocation expenses from the $2.75 billion TV Broadcaster Relocation Fund.

With the now available spectrum, the FCC says millions of Americans will benefit as it will now be used for the development and promotion of 5G, to help close the digital divide in rural America, ease congestion on wireless networks and spur job creation and economic growth.

“Today represents a milestone in the commission’s effort to repurpose spectrum to meet the demands of wireless consumers,” said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. “I want to thank the broadcast and wireless industries, the tower crews, the equipment manufacturers and the radio frequency engineers who support them for the hard work they have done over the past 39 months to make the benefits of the broadcast incentive auction a reality.”

The National Association of Broadcasters’ President and CEO Gordon Smith also provided a statement on the official end of the repack:

“I am incredibly proud of the broadcast television industry for its herculean efforts to meet the FCC’s aggressive repacking deadlines, despite complex and extenuating circumstances.

“NAB thanks the FCC staff for their flexibility in working with stations to facilitate transitions and grant extensions when possible. We are also grateful to Congress for allocating the additional funds needed to fully reimburse broadcasters for costs associated with these mandatory moves.

“There is still much work to be done. To meet FCC deadlines, many stations have been required to operate on temporary facilities that do not serve all station viewers. NAB will continue to work with the FCC to ensure that these stations are made whole and that affected viewers regain access to their local channels.

“In this uncertain time, it is vital that TV viewers have access to local news, entertainment and lifeline information.”

WASHINGTON—The post-incentive auction repack is entering the home stretch, according to testimony given by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai in front of a Senate oversight committee on Thursday, Oct. 17. And thus far the repack has been going well, per Pai.

The Senate Financial Services Subcommittee conducted the hearing to get an overview of the FCC’s entire spectrum auction program. Pai spoke on how previous and upcoming spectrum auctions are helping the U.S. stay at the forefront of wireless technologies, like 5G, as well as generating revenue.

Pai was specifically asked to give an update on the post-incentive auction repack by Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.). Pai informed the committee that the fifth phase of the repack was completed in September—after extensions were given by stations impacted by Hurricane Dorian—at which point 533 of the 987 stations required to move to channel had successfully done so.

Phase six ends today, Oct. 18, with Pai saying he expected an additional 100 stations to have completed their moves. If those numbers prove accurate, the repack will be more than two-thirds complete.

“The process for compensating stations for their relocation costs as a result of the post-incentive auction spectrum repack,” Pai said. “And wireless carriers are already using much of the 600 MHz spectrum that they won at the auction to provide service across the country. Looking forward, we’ll keep our eye on the ball and make sure that this repack is brought to a successful conclusion.”

For more information on the repack, visit TV Technology's repack silo.