United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2005-09-06 monographic deposited born digital 89 p. GA 1.13:GAO-05-940R https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-940R P0b002ee18039e2cc f:d05940r DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-940R machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-940R GAO-05-940R Comparative analysis Consumer education Digital television Foreign governments Government information dissemination Public television Radio frequency allocation Strategic planning Television Television broadcasting Stakeholder consultations Germany United Kingdom Correspondence A35697 The United States is currently undergoing a transition from analog to digital broadcast television. This transition offers the promise of more television programming options, interactive television, and high-definition television. An additional goal of the digital television (DTV) transition is for the federal government to reclaim radiofrequencies--or spectrum--that broadcasters currently use to transmit analog television signals. Because of the virtual explosion of wireless applications in recent years, there is considerable concern that future spectrum needs--both for commercial as well as government purposes--will not be met. The spectrum that will be cleared at the end of the DTV transition is considered to be highly valuable spectrum because of its particular technical properties. In all, the DTV transition will clear 108 megahertz (MHz) of spectrum, which is a fairly significant amount. In the 1997 Balanced Budget Act, the Congress directed the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to reallocate 24 MHz of the reclaimed spectrum to public safety uses. Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, there has been a greater sense of urgency to free spectrum for public safety purposes. The remaining returned spectrum will be auctioned for use in advanced wireless services, such as wireless high-speed Internet access. The return of the radiofrequency spectrum at the end of the transition will thus provide many benefits to society by easing the spectrum scarcity facing public safety first-responders, engendering economic growth and consumer value from spectrum redeployed to wireless services, and affording revenues to the federal government from the proceeds of a spectrum auction. Due to Congressional interest in the DTV transition, we testified before the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, Committee on Energy and Commerce, on May 26, 2005; February 17, 2005; and July 21, 2004, and on issues related to the DTV transition. Additionally, Congress asked us to report on the information Americans need to know about the DTV transition. As such, this report specifically focuses on information campaign issues that we have not previously discussed. We are providing (1) stakeholder views on Americans' knowledge of the DTV transition, (2) stakeholder views on how government and industry might most effectively communicate critical DTV information, and (3) information on efforts by Germany and the United Kingdom to inform their citizens about the DTV transitions taking place in those countries. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-940R/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-940R.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-940R/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-940R.pdf GAO-05-940R https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-940R Correspondence GAO-05-940R; Digital Television Transition: Issues Related to an Information Campaign Regarding the Transition; Comparative analysis Consumer education Digital television Foreign governments Government information dissemination Public television Radio frequency allocation Strategic planning Television Television broadcasting Stakeholder consultations Germany United Kingdom