Repacking Problems Loom, American Tower Warns FCC
American Tower Corp. said executives met with FCC auction staff on the follow-up to the TV incentive auction and warned that problems are starting to develop. “The meeting was intended to update the staff regarding the steps ATC has undertaken…
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to prepare for the repack of TV licensees following the Incentive Auction,” said a filing in docket 12-268. The American Tower program is “in high gear,” the company said. Projects have been “vetted for cost and scheduling efficiencies” and there has been a “continual undertaking to lock down external repack resources.” But American Tower said the “originally forecasted resources shortfall [is] starting to materialize.” The company said it has completed work on six stations on phase 1, with the first tower modification completed last month. American Tower is “currently securing local jurisdiction permits for 27 Phase 1, 2 and 3 stations.” For phase 1 all 13 applications have been received but for phases 5-10 43 applications have been received and 72 are pending, American Tower said. The company said 21 percent of stations that need to be repacked use its towers and it has 129 projects underway, with 15 partial applications in the queue and 82 yet to be filed. Most of its crews that can handle complex projects are “booked or committed to projects through 2019,” American Tower said. A “backlog of materials and shipping is starting to stretch our delivery dates” and a “backlog for antennas is rapidly growing.” Finding qualified RF engineers is also a looming problem, the company said.