RAYMOND, MAINE—In preparation for the U.S. DTV spectrum repack that is on the horizon, American Tower Corporation recently completed a purchase for $3.9 million worth of Dielectric TFU-WB broadband, side-mount antennas. This will help create an inventory of broadband antennas for broadcasters who may need to deploy new transmission equipment as part of their new channel assignment.

The TFU-WB antenna from Dielectric is a side-mount UHF broadband pylon-type antenna that is both ATSC 3.0 and DVB-T2 ready. Dielectric claims that the TFU-WB also offers 75 percent less windload and lower overall weight than the UHF panel antennas. With a high power input, it can reportedly handle multiple stations transmission at once.

American Tower’s order includes three runs of 1,500-foot 6-inch transmission line, as well as eight runs of 1,500-foot 8-inch transmission line that will be used in conjunction with the transitional antennas.

The spectrum repack is expected to begin in the second quarter of this year.