Findings

The Congress finds the following: (1)After significant work educating the people of the United States about the February 17, 2009, digital television transition, efforts to delay the transition will confuse people, leaving them less, rather than more, prepared. Delay will— (A)not move a single consumer off of the waiting list for analog-to-digital converter box coupons; (B)require an additional appropriation of $650 million in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009; (C)jeopardize the availability of the spectrum that the transition clears for police, firefighters, and emergency personnel (spectrum that public safety officials stated 5 years to the day before September 11, 2001, they needed), and jeopardize that spectrum despite the support in the 2004 report of the 9/11 Commission for legislation setting an even earlier firm date; and (D)jeopardize the availability of the spectrum that the transition clears for advanced wireless services, perhaps our Nation’s best and quickest way to improve broadband deployment, stimulating the economy and creating job growth. (2)The program sending households up to 2 coupons, each worth $40, to use for the purchase of analog-to-digital converter boxes is not out of funds. Only approximately half of the $1.5 billion in the coupon program has been spent on redeemed coupons; the other half remains in circulation, which is why there is a waiting list. Under current law, the coupons expire 90 days after issuance if not redeemed. Approximately 300,000 coupons expire every week, and the recouped funding is used to send more coupons. (3)In a January 14, 2009, letter, the Commerce Department said that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration could immediately resume sending coupons even before existing ones expire if Congress authorized another $250 million for the program. The Treasury of the United States might even recoup those funds because of unredeemed coupons that expire at the end of the program. (4)Industry has spent more than $1 billion successfully educating consumers about the transition and the February 17, 2009, transition date. According to Nielsen, as of the end of November 2008, approximately 93 percent of television households already had one or more televisions ready for the transition because the televisions had a digital tuner, were connected to cable or satellite service, or were connected to a converter box. Approximately 83 percent of television households had all their televisions ready. (5)Only households that rely exclusively on over-the-air antennas to receive television service and that do not have a digital television or a converter box are at risk of losing all television service. According to Nielsen, there are approximately 14.3 million exclusively over-the-air households. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration reports that it has already sent coupons to approximately 13.5 million households that identify themselves as relying exclusively on over-the-air antennas. Thus, only 800,000 exclusively over-the-air households have not yet received a coupon. Approximately 600,000 of those households are on the waiting list to receive a coupon. Authorizing an additional $250 million for the coupon program should help those households receive coupons before the transition date. (6)Based on these figures, only 200,000 households could lose all service if such households do not take action. Such households represent less than 2 percent of exclusively over-the-air households, and less than two-tenths of one percent of all television households. Such a small number of households with the potential to lose service is not reason enough to delay the transition. Government and industry can help households get coupons and converter boxes if such households want them, but a small group will always be unprepared no matter what the government and industry do. In addition, households can always get a converter box without a coupon, either before or after the transition. The converter boxes only cost $40 to $80. Such households have additional options, as well, by which they can receive television service.