NEXTGEN TV – FAQs for Affordable Housing Decision Makers

We recently sponsored and attended the Colorado Real Estate Journal’s Affordable Housing Summit at the University of Denver. It was a great event focused on how to make affordable housing more available and more energy efficient.

One of the key points brought up by multiple housing authority representatives and community managers was strategies to help tenants save money. The gist of the argument is this: if residents can save money on basic services and utilities then they will be able to use that money to accomplish their own goals. And sometimes, when times are especially tough, saving as little as $30 a month can be the difference between making rent and not.

The Case for NEXTGEN TV in Affordable Housing

NEXTGEN TV (ATSC 3.0), the latest evolution in broadcast technology, delivers crystal clear signals, in 4K Dolby for free. Yes, you read that right. Free. Free NFL. Free World Cup. Free local news. Free national news. Free Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. Free PBS and PBS Kids. Free NBA finals. Free NCAA March Madness. Free Telemundo and UniMas. Free, free, free.

This means no “Broadcast TV” fees for those with access to signals from a NEXTGEN TV antenna. Subscription TV services like cable, satellite, and vMVPDs charge anywhere from $20 to $30 a month to watch the exact same channels you can get from free from a properly installed master antenna.

And those “Broadcast TV” fees go up every year, like clockwork. Next year, those fees will increase by a minimum of 10%.

Is NEXTGEN TV legal?

Yes! the US Federal Government, via the FCC, mandates that it is free. The technology, which just so happens to carry free digital TV signals, is actually a crucial part of the national and local Emergency Alert System.

Is NEXTGEN TV reliable?

NEXTGEN TV is extremely reliable if installed and tuned correctly. Unlike a satellite dish, it will work through rain, clouds, sleet, or snow. And sometimes it can be installed in attics. And unlike satellite or cable, its free.

Best of all, there are no channel or show blackouts on NEXTGEN TV. Because of the deals between ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX and the FCC, you will never lose access to these channels and their shows.

Is NEXTGEN TV available for my property?

If NEXTGEN TV is not available in your area, it soon will be. But any Master Antenna solution installed by StreamWise Solutions is backwards compatible with the previous generation of digital broadcast, ATSC 1.0.

Since 2009, ATSC 1.0 delivers all the major broadcasters for free in HD. Its not 4K but it is 1080i uncompressed which looks better than the compressed signals of cable and satellite.

At StreamWise Solutions we have been installing antennas since 2010. During that time we have helped our 15,000+ owners and tenants avoid paying “Broadcast TV Fees,” also known as retransmission consent fees.

Schedule a consultation with us to see if your new property qualifies for NEXTGEN TV.

Is Spanish programming available via NEXTGEN TV?

Absolutely. In fact, some of the most avid users of antennas can be found in in our nation’s Spanish dominant households. Free access via an antenna to Telemundo and UniMas is ubiquitously available throughout the country.

Do my residents need special equipment?

Any TV manufactured after 2009 will be able to get digital broadcast signals by connecting the built in TV tuner to the coax wall jack. For tenants with older TVs, we can help them get an incredible deal on a new or used TV.

Are there ongoing operational costs?

No. Pay for the installation and that’s it.

How much does it cost to install?

Pricing will depend on four things. Number of buildings, number of units per building, distance from broadcast towers, and construction phase. Older buildings tend to cost more per unit than newer buildings. Though some older MDUs can get it done quite cheaply if they abandon cable for internet and get fiber or managed WiFi6 installed to every unit.

Are there ugly antennas visible from the street?

Not if its done right.

In some multi-family locations we can actually replace ugly satellite dishes with sleek, low profile, NEXTGEN TV ready antennas. (This is location dependent)

How can I offset the cost of installation?

Easy. Talk to StreamWise Solutions to learn how to save money on construction costs related to MDU telecom infrastructure. If done right you only need a maximum of two low voltage communication wires going to each unit. In fact, our experienced team has helped developers save up to $1000 per unit on construction costs.

Recently, we came into a project quite late in construction. The development had 10 buildings and 276 units with an ugly, grey satellite dish mounted on the side of each building. Every single unit had three coaxial cables, a Cat6 cable, and a fiber cable pulled to each unit’s media panel. Talk about overkill. If you have fiber running to a unit, its quite possible you don’t need anything else and you can still have free NEXTGEN TV access in every unit.

Can I charge my tenants directly for access to NEXTGEN TV?

No. That would be a violation of your mission and the Cable Act of 1992.

Can My MDU make money from TV, like the old days?

Maybe, but very doubtful. As an MDU owner or developer you can still install ugly satellite dishes or try to enter into bulk agreements with your local cable provider; however, less than 10% of your tenants will even subscribe to these expensive legacy TV services.

And whats the point in installing ugly satellite dishes when no new satellites will be launched.

Also, remember, anyone with a SmartTV can get access to countless free streaming options so TV watching is no longer dependent on a cablle or satellite subscription. But they can’t get ABC, CBS, NBC, or FOX live broadcasts without a subscription or access to an antenna.

Why have I never heard of NEXTGEN TV?

When consumers can get major broadcast TV for free, they don’t pay “Broadcast TV” fees. And when consumers pay those fees every month they generate over $13B in revenue for the cable company and national and local broadcasters.

Needless to say, the big media and tech companies are not anxious for you to know this big, money saving fact. If consumers unwittingly pay for what is available for free, why would anyone try to dissuade them.

The real question is this: why are your elected leaders not letting you know about free NEXTGEN TV. Some US Senators are pushing for a faster roll out.

What about Internet service?

The internet landscape is changing rapidly. More and more communities are building Municipal Fiber, like NextLight in Longmont, CO. At StreamWise Solutions we always recommend taking advantage of municipal fiber if available. It helps with local employment and helps the taxpayers by ensuring infrastructure bonds get paid off on schedule.

T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon are rolling out 5G internet which means a tenant can get internet access without subscribing to the service you recommend or are trying to generate revenue from. And these services can qualify for ACP (Affordable Connectivity Program).