An article in trade magazine TV Technology suggests that broadband suppliers haven’t even begun to use the spectrum freed up by the digital television transition, yet the hunt seems to be on again in TV’s spectrum space. The article suggests the prime motivator is the elimination of competition from broadcasters.
TV Technology suggests that there are very few companies that could even afford to bid on the spectrum television stations would give up. It also suggests that citizens who spent good money buying new equipment to take advantage of the new government-mandated digital television era would be the proud owners of government-mandated junk.
The author of the story, Deborah McAdams, says that spectrum or the lack of it is not the story, its money. “The wireless industry wants to hold everyone hostage to exorbitant monthly subscriber fees for using what is purported to be the public airwaves. And by marginalizing broadcasters, they eliminate potential competition for mobile video services.”
