WASHINGTON-The Telecommunications Industry Association Thursday came out in support of a Dec. 31, 2006, hard date for the transition to digital TV.
“Converting to DTV will clear valuable spectrum for other important uses, such as advanced wireless services with both commercial and public-safety applications,” said TIA. “The propagation characteristics of this particular band make it extremely desirable for new, innovative broadband applications and state-of-the-art first-responder communications.”
TIA delivered its policy statement to Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), chairman of the House telecommunications subcommittee, at a private luncheon Thursday.
Upton’s subcommittee held a key hearing on the DTV transition last week . During the hearing, Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), ranking member of the House telecommunications subcommittee, questioned the timing of setting a hard date because he believes there are too many unknowns left to be examined about the DTV transition.
Supporting a hard date is Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), chairman of the House Commerce Committee. Barton has indicated he will introduce legislation to set a hard date for the DTV transition.
In 1997, Congress said that on Jan. 1, 2007, broadcasters would have to return the extra 6 megahertz of spectrum given to TV broadcasters to facilitate the digital transition. But there was a caveat. TV broadcasters could keep the spectrum if more than 15 percent of the homes in their viewing areas could not receive digital signals.
Removing the caveat has become known as establishing a hard date and has been widely encouraged by the wireless industry.
TIA’s DTV policy statement also favors a subsidy program for low-income viewers of over-the-air TV broadcasting.
“To the extent Congress finds that market forces are insufficient to ensure that households are able to view digital broadcast signals, Congress should design an efficient transitional mechanism, funded by auction proceeds, to address the issue. Congress also should require that any consumer incentives to purchase new digital products for terrestrial broadcast reception be technology and product neutral,” said TIA.
