Feb 12, 2009 4:10 PM,

DTV delay now law, but confusion still persists over 700 MHz

By Kevin Fitchard

Many broadcasters are shutting off transmitters early, opening up spectrum to operators but raising concerns with the FCC

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“We are six days away from the most demanding consumer technology transition in the history of broadcast,” Copps said. “I impugn no motives here. People have different ideas about how a great country confronts a great problem. I don’t think we confronted this one properly. Dislocation and confusion are coming Feb. 17 and 18. The only thing worse than the dislocation and confusion coming Feb. 17 and Feb. 18 would have been the dislocation and confusion that would have attended a total analog cutoff on Feb. 17.”

The broadband stimulus bill being hashed out between the House and Senate includes $650 million for the DTV converter-box coupon program. If passed by President’s Day as Congressional leaders and Obama are hoping, that would give the government a little less than 90 days to hand out the $40 coupons and allow time for people to purchase the boxes for their analog TVs. If the program takes longer than 90 days, though, Obama and Congress may seek to extend the deadline further, which will most surely spark objections from wireless operators.

In the summer, Qualcomm won’t be the only operator affected by a delay. Verizon Wireless is beginning its rollout of Long Term Evolution networks later this year and plans to have its first networks live by the end of the year. Other operators like Cox Communications also have announced their intentions to deploy wireless networks over 700 MHz this year.