TIA said Thurs. it supports congressional efforts to establish a ...
TIA said Thurs. it supports congressional efforts to establish a date-certain deadline for DTV conversion. TIA said it would support the Dec. 31, 2006, deadline backed by House Commerce Committee Chmn. Barton (R-Tex.). Barton has said he will soon…
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introduce DTV transition legislation, but it’s unclear if the bill’s deadline will be that early. One House source told us the bill isn’t expected to be introduced until May. Though TIA doesn’t represent broadcast entities, it does have interest in the 108 MHz of spectrum in the 700 MHz band currently occupied by analog broadcasting. “The propagation characteristics of this particular spectrum band make it extremely desirable for new, innovative broadband applications and state-of-the-art first-responder communications,” TIA said. Some licensees of spectrum auctioned by the FCC “cannot deploy new wireless services on it until the DTV transition ends,” TIA said: “Additional auctions of this spectrum for licensed commercial services are on hold, and consumers in rural America must continue to wait for broadband access.” By setting a date certain for transition, TIA said, high-tech firms can begin to plan for the potential use of the spectrum band. The deadline would also help drive the market for digital products, TIA said. Grant Seiffert, TIA vp-external affairs, said a deadline would help force action by broadcasters and manufacturers to accelerate the transition. Seiffert also praised Barton’s efforts to push the deadline. “He’s leading, that’s what’s important,” Seiffert said. TIA isn’t the only association to support the deadline in hopes of using the spectrum. The Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) also supports a hard-date deadline for broadcasters, primarily for the return of spectrum. Nick Kolovos, govt. affairs dir.-telecom issues, said its manufacturers need to know this year if there will be a deadline for return of the 700 MHz spectrum band, so they can plan on installing hardware and chips that can operate in the spectrum band. Without such a deadline, Kolovos said, it could be years before consumers reap the benefits of the spectrum. A deadline “is something needed this year for the return of this spectrum to benefit consumers,” Kolovos said.