TPGs and Planning handbooksTPGs and Planning handbooks

TPGs and Planning handbooks

Because they are legally binding, the TPGs include only the mandatory requirements to be met by broadcasters in planning and operating new transmission facilities, or in seeking changes to existing facilities. Supporting information on suitable analog planning and measurement methods is contained separately in Technical Planning Parameters and Methods for Terrestrial Broadcasting (TPPs), first published by the Department of Transport and Communications in June 1992.

The TPGs and TPPs were included as Parts 1 and 2 respectively of the Interim Australian Broadcasting Planning Handbook until December 2000, when the Handbook was superseded. The TPGs and TPPs are now included in the Broadcasting Planning Manual (BPM) – a new publication which brings together all planning related documents, as well as additional reference material, in to a single publication. Copies of the TPGs, TPPs and other documents that form part of the Broadcasting Planning Manual are available from the ACMA website (www.acma.gov.au).

The TPPs are based on broadcasting planning parameters and methods of measurement defined in Recommendations and Reports of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), as well as planning practices developed in Australia, North America, Europe and Britain over many years.

The TPPs are intended for broadcasters, planning consultants and operators of broadcasting facilities involved in detailed design of broadcasting transmitting facilities or in the preparation of planning submissions to ACMA.

The planning values and methods set out in the TPPs are generally consistent with international practice. Alternative method(s) may be used but facilities planners would need to be in a position to demonstrate that the alternative method(s) yield results comparable with those set out in the TPPs.

In respect of such alternative method(s), which may include various computer based prediction models, system designers need to be aware that no model is an exact replication of real propagation phenomena. The type of terrain and other variable factors make some models better in some circumstances than others, and the probabilistic nature of radio frequency propagation requires statistical methods of prediction. The methods set out in the TPPs represent accepted international practice and include statistical allowances based on many years and many different field measurements of propagation in different parts of the world.

For planning of digital television and datacasting services, the information contained in the TPPs is also supplemented by the Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting Planning Handbook. This Handbook is also available from the ACMA website.

The basic planning principles for digital radio are similar to those used in planning for FM radio and television broadcasting services. Parameters specific to digital radio are drawn from widely recognised international sources including the ITU and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) as well as ACMA and Australian industry measurements. ACMA may publish material relating to digital radio planning in the future. Any digital radio planning material published by ACMA will be made available on the ACMA website.