Dtv.gov/maps Jun 2026

The core engine behind the coverage maps is the Longley-Rice (IRregular Terrain Model - ITM) propagation model. Developed in the 1960s and refined for the DTV era, this model is designed to predict median signal strength over irregular terrain.

It identifies whether a station broadcasts on UHF (Channels 14–51) or VHF (Low: 2–6, High: 7–13), which is critical for choosing the right antenna hardware. dtv.gov/maps

While the FCC tool uses a sophisticated terrain-sensitive propagation model, actual signal quality can be impacted by local factors not captured on the map: Amazon.com The core engine behind the coverage maps is

Channels are color-coded based on predicted strength: Green (Strong), Yellow (Moderate), Orange (Weak), and Red (Very Weak/No Signal). and Red (Very Weak/No Signal).