Local CBS station has completed its move to a new spectrum position, T-Mo says
T-Mobile US reports that its repacking work with New York-area broadcasters is paying off with early clearing of its new 600 MHz holdings in the metro area, more than a year ahead of the Federal Communications Commission deadline.
T-Mo said that the accelerated repacking of CBS station WLNY-TV’s spectrum in areas of Long Island, Brooklyn and Queens has been completed. WLNY moved to its new spectrum position earlier this month, the carrier said.
T-Mobile spent around $8 billion in the FCC auction of 600 MHz spectrum previously dedicated to television broadcasters. The carrier has formed partnerships with a number of New York metro-area broadcasters, including the local Fox and PBS stations, to work closely with them in order to accomplish the spectrum repacking well ahead of the FCC’s deadline.
Peter Dunn, president of CBS Television Stations, said in a statement that the move to the new frequency was “seamless.”
“Partnering with WLNY allows us to clear spectrum and bring 600 MHz LTE to customers in New York City as quickly as possible,” said Neville Ray, T-Mobile US CTO, in a statement. “The T-Mobile team is deploying 600 MHz LTE across the country at record pace and we’re laying the foundation for 5G in NYC by deploying 600 MHz with 5G-ready gear.” T-Mobile US expects to actually turn up 600 MHz LTE — which it has dubbed “600 MHz Extended Range LTE” — in early 2019.
As of early June, T-Mobile US said that it had deployed 600 MHz coverage in more than 900 cities and towns in 32 states and planned to bring 600 MHz coverage to Puerto Rice this fall.
