CTIA to Emphasize Maintaining Repack Timeline at House Hearing, Tower Group to Note Safety Focus

CTIA supports maintaining the existing 39-month timeline for completing post-incentive auction spectrum repacking and believes any delay of that process would have “cascading consequences,” Vice President-Regulatory Affairs Scott Bergmann plans to tell the House Communications Subcommittee during a Thursday hearing. CTIA also supports a “fully-funded repack that ensures broadcasters are made whole for reasonable costs,” but Congress didn't intend the Broadcaster Relocation Fund to “cover the costs of a technology upgrade” like a transition to ATSC 3.0, Bergmann said in written testimony. Congress and the FCC should ensure the 3.0 transition “is not used to delay” the repack, as efforts to link the two processes would “conflict” with statute, he said. National Association of Tower Erectors Chairman Jim Tracy will emphasize the group's focus on ensuring safe deployment of antennas and wireless equipment as part of the repack. He will say “the marketplace will ultimately dictate the time period it will take to achieve this transition," that “we want work to be done properly and efficiently, and that at the end of the day, we want our workers to come home safe.” America's Public Television Stations CEO Patrick Butler, NAB General Counsel Rick Kaplan, Competitive Carriers Association General Counsel Rebecca Murphy Thompson and NewsChannel 5 Network General Manager Lyn Plantinga also will testify. House Commerce Republicans have said they want to discuss estimated repacking costs and potential delays in the post-incentive auction's repack timeline. They also want to examine how low-power and TV translator stations are faring in the repacking process (see 1709050041). The hearing will begin at 10 a.m. in 2123 Rayburn.