The Educational Broadband Service (EBS) is an FCC designation for wireless spectrum in the 2.5 GHz band. This band is the only spectrum available to educators except, arguably, the PBS and NPR channels in the VHF and UHF bands. ASU is licensed for 48 MHz of the band.  ASU is licensed to broadcast throughout the Phoenix metro area in a 30 mile radius from South Mountain. ASU also has 24 MHz in Casa Grande.

The band was developed in the 1960's and was known as ITFS. It was used solely for educational television. ASU used the ITFS channels to deliver televised classes, mainly from the School of Engineering, to large companies throughout the Valley and to public sites. It is also used to connect to the West, East and ASU Downtown campus cable systems.

ASU uses EBS channels 400-405.  The Downtown and Polytechnic campuses receive all the EBS channels while the West campus only receives channels 400-403.    

ASUtv is simulcast on channel 400.   The New Media Network group is transmitting the Research Channel on channel 401.  The remaining channels are available for educational purposes.            

The EBS channels are broadcast via directional microwaves from the Tempe Campus to South Mountain.  This communication paths are called Studio-to-Transmitter Links or STLs.   Once on the mountain the signal is converted from an analog to a digital signal and broadcast to the Phoenix Metro area.   The channels 400-405 can be viewed though Campus Cable on the ASU campuses or in viewing rooms with an appropriate decoder unit.     

Below is a diagram on the EBS configuration for ASU.