New TV Broadcast Tower Announced
A project team formed by NHK and five major commercial broadcasters in Tokyo have decided that a 600-meter tower for terrestrial digital television broadcasting [.jpg] will be built in the Sumida-Taito area of the capital according to an article in the Yomiuri Shimbun. The new tower, dubbed Tokyo Tower 2 [formally named Sky Tree], is scheduled for completion at the end of 2010 and will be the worlds largest telecom tower, surpassing CN Tower in Toronto, currently the tallest at 553 meters. Video Here
Tobu Railway Co. is the projects primary developer and owner of the 8,000 sqaure meter site, constructions costs are estimated at 50 billion jpy (approx. usd 420 million), broadcasters will pay rent for spots on the tower for their antennae. The Sumida-Tower will be nearly twice as tall as Tokyo Tower, which stands at 333 meters, and according to the article is required for sure-fire one-seg broadcasting, set to launch here April 1st, to cellphones and other enabled receivers.