DTV Transition Deadline Delays Leave Public Safety Networks Hungry for Bandwidth

by George McClure

As we become an increasingly wired nation, it might seem reasonable to assume that electromagnetic spectrum management plays a smaller role today than it did before the advent of fiber optic and cable communications. But not everyone can be tethered to a wire, so broadcast spectrum is still a vital and limited resource. The United States allocates less radio spectrum than do European Union countries, making the stakes for allocating analog TV spectrum even higher.

The FCC defines "spectrum" as "the range of electromagnetic radio frequencies used in the transmission of radio, data and video." Radio Frequency is the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum used for wireless communications, occupying the 3 KHz - 300 GHz band [see chart].

When broadcast television began in the 1940s, geographic coverage was a primary concern. The lower-frequency VHF channels, prized for their greater coverage, were snatched up first, while late-comers were assigned shorter-range UHF channels. Each analog television broadcast channel occupies 6 MHz, and the VHF channels became valuable economic assets for the broadcasters who had licenses to use them. The first cable systems were community antenna systems to bring signals into hollows and valleys not covered by direct broadcast.

Eighteen years ago, in 1987, the Federal Communications Commission opened its first Advanced Television proceeding. At the time, the FCC's plan was to reallocate some part of the little-used TV band to accommodate other services, including public safety and expanding mobile phone usage and services. By 2004, wireless phone services in the United States were generating about $90 billion in annual revenues, with declining prices saving consumers another $80 billion per year [see related article].

And a study by the Manhattan Institute estimated that assigning an additional 80 MHz of radio spectrum to wireless operators would reduce per-mile wireless charges nearly 25 percent, increase usage by about 47 percent and generate more than $30 billion per year in consumer benefits. Another advantage would be greater competitiveness by U.S. business users in both domestic and international markets [see related article]. Based on the strength of those numbers, and wireless providers' continued pleas for more of the coveted broadcast spectrum, it is likely that the any future reallocation plans will make additional voice and data bandwidth a priority.

Digital Television Transition Underway

In 1996, Congress established a timetable for the transition from analog to digital television (DTV). The congressional plan "loaned" a second 6 MHz parcel of spectrum to each existing broadcast station in the United States to begin making the transition to DTV. Broadcasters would continue transmitting analog signals on their old 6 MHz analog slice of spectrum, while using the loaner parcel to begin broadcasting digital programming. The target date for completion of DTV coverage for all TV services was 2006, or after 85 percent of Americans had made the switch to DTV. However, that target date has been pushed to late 2008 or early 2009.

After the DTV transition is completed, stations will return their analog spectrum to the FCC, which it will then auction off. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the federal government will pocket $10 billion by auctioning off the spectrum; some believe it could fetch a great deal more. By some estimates, four TV channels (24 MHz) could fetch $15 billion on the private market — 50 percent higher than the haul the government expects to bring in from the auction of the returned analog TV channels.

What's Holding Us Back?

The transition to DTV has been underway for more than eight years, and broadcasters have made significant progress. According to the FCC, 1,525 stations are now delivering DTV content in all 211 U.S. television markets. In addition, 87.54 percent of the more than 106 million U.S. TV households are in markets with five or more broadcasters airing DTV; another 69.23 percent of all homes are in markets with eight or more broadcasters sending digital signals. Broadcasters who have made the transition to DTV are paying to transmit both their DTV and analog signals, with no additional revenue. Understandably, they are anxious for Congress to pass legislation that would bring the transition to a timely conclusion.

But many Americans worry that to watch digital television they will have to replace their existing televisions with newer, more expensive models. After the transition, people who wish to continue using their analog televisions can do so, but they will need a set-top box to convert the digital signal to analog. Cable and satellite systems, which serve some 85 percent of U.S. households, can provide the necessary conversion for their subscribers. Many of today's more costly, high-definition TV sets come equipped with digital tuners, which are expected to come down in cost as mass market production continues to ramp up [see related article].

Legislative Action

According to a report by the Government Accountability Office earlier this year, the approximately ten million U.S. households without subscription service could be upgraded with converter boxes for a one-time cost of no more than $2 billion and as low as $463 million. In floor debate, Members of Congress have discussed cost limits for set-top conversion boxes at around $50.

On 18 November, the House passed DTV transition legislation as part of a larger budget-reconciliation measure. The House measure sets the deadline for the transition to be completed by 31 December 2008, and sets aside $990 million to help defray the cost of converter boxes for those who wish to continue using their analog sets. The Senate DTV bill, passed on 3 November, calls for a 7 April 2009 analog shutoff, and would use up to $3 billion of the $10 billion expected from the analog spectrum auction to subsidize most of the cost for converter boxes [see related article]. The Senate's version would also provide $1.7 billion to first responders and restoration efforts in coastal regions damaged by the recent hurricanes if the analog spectrum auction generates more than $11 billion [see related article].

Lawmakers are aware that a premature end to analog broadcasts could leave millions of households that rely on free, over-the-air signals without access to local TV stations. According to the National Association of Broadcasters, 73 million television sets in the United States are not connected to cable or satellite, 45 million of which rely exclusively on local, over-the-air stations as their sole TV source [see related article]. Those TV sets only account for a small fraction of American households, but millions of Americans could potentially be left without TV — more importantly, millions of voting Americans.

Not Enough Spectrum for Public Safety Responders?

When the DTV transition is completed, enormous chunks of bandwidth will be freed up for auction or reallocation, or both. Over the coming years, the FCC and Congress will face tough challenges on what to do with the spectrum windfall.

For years, public safety officials and members of Congress have been calling for reallocation of broadcast spectrum to help relieve overcrowding on public safety bands. In 1997, the FCC proposed the reallocation of television Channels 60-69 (the 746-806 MHz band) to other services to help to alleviate a critical shortage of public safety spectrum, make new technologies and services available to the American public, and allow for more efficient use of spectrum in the 746-806 MHz band. Proponents of giving more spectrum to public safety usage cite poor responder coordination during September 11th, and hurricanes Katrina and Rita, as justification.

Critics of public safety spectrum allocations contend that spectrum can and should be purchased just like other safety equipment, and that public safety spectrum should be opened up to the market for competitive bidding. They argue that technology upgrades, including use of digital technologies, would solve public safety responders' problems more effectively than throwing additional spectrum at the problem [see related article].

If You Build It...

One of the advantages of conversion to digital TV is that it forms a stepping stone from which the next step — broadband digital service to most consumers — can be accomplished. The United States ranks lower than the top ten globally in the broadband penetration. In 2001, for example, broadband penetration in the United States equaled only a quarter of the broadband in Korea. One recommendation from the National Research Council report on global competitiveness is to ensure the nation meets the goal of affordable broadband Internet access for all citizens by 2007 [see related article].

The slow and cumbersome government-driven reallocation process for DTV has been likened to the transition from analog to digital cell phones — one orchestrated by the service providers, who invest billions of dollars in the process to reap ultimate gains.

Reference

Government Accountability Office, The Digital Broadcast Television Transition: Estimated Cost of Supporting Set-Top Boxes to Help Advance the DTV Transition," 17 February 2005.

George McClure is chair IEEE-USA's Communications Committee, a member of the IEEE-USA Career & Workforce Policy Committee, and technology policy editor for IEEE-USA Today’s Engineer. Comments may be submitted to todaysengineer@ieee.org. Opinions expressed are the author's.