WCTE viewers on Dish Network can now access WCTE PBS on their channel lineup. The signal was restored Tuesday, March 11th.
The outage was caused by a complex series of events involving the fiber optic connection that delivers WCTE's signal to Dish Network.
Dish Network receives WCTE's signal at a highly secure communications facility in Nashville. This facility houses numerous telecommunications cross-connections, essentially acting as a major hub for internet and broadcast traffic. WCTE relies on a fiber optic connection to deliver its signal to this facility, as over-the-air transmission is not feasible.
The facility has limited fiber connection access. WCTE's signal provider contracted with a “last mile” carrier to bridge the gap into the facility. This carrier unexpectedly pulled out in October, triggering a search for a replacement.
Finding a new provider proved challenging due to the facility’s access restrictions. An initial replacement deal fell through after a labor strike. Eventually, a new provider was found, but the necessary circuit installation experienced significant delays.
The new circuit was finally completed in late February, but further delays arose in coordinating the connection within the facility itself. A Dish Network engineer, along with WCTE and network technicians, were able to restore WCTE's signal to Dish Network March 11th to all customers.
