ERI, T-Mobile Partner To Help Speed Repack

Electronics Research Inc. has an agreement with T-Mobile that gives ERI the ability to ramp materials and accelerate antenna production capacity by 800% before the end of the year in anticipation of the end of the FCC’s incentive auction.

ERI said it will begin production of antennas, and installation crews will be available immediately after the FCC issues new channel assignments to broadcasters either being relocated within the UHF band or relocating from UHF channels to VHF channels.

The company said this will accelerate the process of clearing the 600 MHz band allowing new wireless broadband services to be deployed in the band, within the 39-month repacking timeline outlined by the FCC.

Commenting on the agreement, ERI President-CEO Tom Silliman said: “Working with T-Mobile ahead of the completion of the auction enables ERI to be first in the category to manufacture and install a high volume of the antennas needed to clear spectrum, and do it faster than we’d otherwise be able to. ERI will have the capacity to manufacture television antennas, transmission line, and filter systems and to have trained and equipped installation crews at the beginning of the FCC’s 39 month clearing window.”

“It’s a no-brainer for T-Mobile to do what we can to help the broadcast industry accelerate the FCC’s repacking schedule,” said David Mayo, SVP of technology at T-Mobile. “We want to insure that television broadcasters have access to the equipment and installation capacity needed for timely completion of the FCC clearing timeline.”

ERI said it will “immediately take the necessary step to expand manufacturing and test facilities” as well as hire and train manufacturing, test and installation personnel in advance of the increase in demand for television antennas, transmission line, and RF components that will be driven by the new television channel assignments issued by the FCC.