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Verizon Fights DTV Transition Delay
Says it will muck up their 2009 LTE test plans
President-elect Barack Obama recently urged Congress to delay the February 17 digital TV transition, after the government's program to subsidize digital converters ran out of money, forcing those interested in digital transition coupons to sign onto a waiting list. Verizon has since penned a letter (pdf) to Congress warning them that the delay could impact their plans to deploy 700Mhz LTE wireless broadband, which the telco says is set for "field testing and deployment" sometime this year. From the letter:
quote:
LTE will facilitate the provision of mobile broadband services nationwide, including areas of the country that have few, if any, broadband services available today. Verizon Wireless intends to begin field testing and deployment of LTE this year. Deployment of LTE, however, can only be done if we have access to 700MHz frequencies. Delaying the DTV transition will delay our ability to upgrade those frequencies to 4G broadband for American consumers and have a negative impact on our nation's international competitiveness.
Of course by "deployment," Verizon means one small test market, as any serious deployment of LTE isn't expected until late 2010 or later. AT&T, who plans to milk HSPA 3G technology for while, isn't so concerned, writing their own letter supporting a delay. "A smooth transition from analog broadcast transmission to digital is in the public interest and will ultimately inure to the benefit of all Americans," says AT&T.

Most recommended from 52 comments



Jahntassa
What, I can have feathers
Premium Member
join:2006-04-14
Conway, SC

4 recommendations

Jahntassa

Premium Member

Rip off the band-aid already

No amount of time will create a 'smooth' transition in this country. There will always be someone unprepared, someone uninformed.

The transition has been delayed too long already. Do the switchover. If people haven't figured out they need to do something by now, they sure will once they shut off the analog.

Maybe i'm biased since I understand technology, but really, how much more time does this need? Other than 'more time', what plan is there to make the transition more successful?