It should come as no surprise that Qualcomm
opposes any delay in the digital television transition currently scheduled for
Feb. 17. After all, the company has spent hundreds of millions to obtain a
slice of the spectrum being vacated by television broadcasters. Qualcomm is
anxious to expand its cell phone television service known as MediaFLO as soon
as possible.
However, with lawmakers strongly signaling an intention to delay the transition
until June 12, Qualcomm shifted gears Jan. 19, asking Congress to impose the
Feb. 17 deadline on only nine TV stations in four major markets. By forcing the
Feb. 17 deadline on the Boston, Houston, Miami and San Francisco markets, Qualcomm would still be able to roll out a
substantial portion of its MediaFLO service.
In 2008, Qualcomm acquired eight licenses in the FCC's (Federal Communications
Commission's) 700MHz spectrum auction at a total cost of $558.1 million. The
licenses doubled Qualcomm's 700MHz spectrum holdings throughout a footprint of
more than 68 million people in 28 individual markets.
"Any delay of the DTV transition ... will penalize Qualcomm for having
acted as a responsible FCC licensee in following the law and making the
investments necessary to turn on our transmitters as soon as the DTV transition
ends on Feb.
17, 2009," Qualcomm CEO
Paul E. Jacobs said in a Jan. 19 letter to lawmakers.
Qualcomm revealed the extent of its MediaFLO ambitions in a Jan. 12 filing with
the FCC.
"Immediately upon the end of the DTV transition on February 17, 2009, Qualcomm will turn on transmitters to launch
MediaFLO in many major markets around the country," Qualcomm Vice
President of Government Affairs Dean Brenner wrote in the filing. "Within
a few days of Feb. 17th, Qualcomm will have approximately 100 new
transmitters on the air in Channel 55."
Brenner said the new transmitters will allow Qualcomm to launch MediaFLO in
approximately 15 major markets across the country and to expand the existing
MediaFLO coverage footprint in approximately 25 other markets.
Other wireless carriers that have a stake in the soon-to-be-available spectrum indicated
to Congress that they were willing to live with a temporary delay in the
digital TV transition after then-President-elect Barack Obama urged Congress to
delay the transition. The NTIA (National Telecommunications and Information
Administration) announced Jan. 5 that funding
for the $1.34 billion digital converter box coupon program has been exhausted,
at least for now. The NTIA said consumers still seeking a coupon would be
placed on a waiting list as expired, unredeemed coupons become available.
Sen. Jay Rockefeller, chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and
Transportation, responded to Obama's request Jan. 15, introducing legislation
to extend the digital TV deadline to June 12.
"Because of these important developments, Verizon agrees that a onetime
delay from Feb. 17 to June 12, as reflected in Senator Rockefeller's draft
bill, is appropriate," Verizon Chairman and CEO
Ivan Seidenberg said in a letter to lawmakers. "Any further delay would
harm the nation's economy and broadband future, as I noted in my letter earlier
this week."
AT&T also said it supports a delay.
The U.S. House cancelled a Jan. 21 hearing to mark up legislation similar to
Rockefeller's.
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