Originally published November 18 2005
Senate panel approves digital television transition
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
The slow transition from analog to digital television has been approved and should happen by 2009. The switch could raise billions for the federal treasury, but how to pay for the technology is a major issue.
A Senate panel approved legislation on Thursday to complete the slow transition from analog to digital television by 2009, a change of enormous importance to the television, cable and wireless telephone industries.
The legislation, cleared by the Senate Commerce Committee by a vote of 19 to 3, has gained considerable momentum because it could raise billions of dollars for a depleted federal treasury from auctions for the spectrum licenses that would be surrendered by broadcasters.
Emergency workers have been heavily lobbying for the legislation so they can have better communication systems during disasters like Hurricane Katrina.
And the lawmakers are being pressed by industry groups, most notably the wireless phone companies, to accelerate the transition to auction the spectrum licenses so that the carriers can expand and improve their phone and wireless Internet services.
The legislation approved by the committee was sponsored by its Republican chairman, Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska, and the ranking Democrat, Senator Daniel K. Inouye of Hawaii.
A similar bill, expected to be considered soon in the House, is likely to try to trim that amount, Congressional aides said.
The legislation is the latest measure in a decades-long push toward digital transmission, which would make more efficient use of the communications spectrum and enable broadcasters to offer better-quality pictures as well as the prospect of interactivity.
Under existing law, the broadcasters were supposed to return that part of the spectrum at the later of two dates - Dec. 31, 2006, or when 85 percent of households receive digital signals.
Several lobbyists said this week they had heard from lawmakers that in recent months Bill Gates, Microsoft's co-founder, had pressed the issue with members of Congress.
She said the company was not seeking a provision for unlicensed spectrum use in the bill adopted on Thursday but generally favors such unlicensed spectrum.
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