RSSPlease leave the DTV deadline at February 17, begs Qualcomm
By Sharon Fisher | Published January 21, 2009, 11:17 AM
Qualcomm may now be a key industry holdout against a proposal to extend the digital television switchover deadline from February 17, potentially to June 12.
While Verizon and AT&T have each indicated that they would not object to a proposed extension to June 12, Qualcomm reportedly wrote a letter to Congressional representatives asking them not to delay the switchover because of how it would affect the company's rollout plans.
AT&T, Qualcomm, and Verizon had all purchased the 700 MHz spectrum currently used by analog television to provide services. Qualcomm, in particular, is planning to roll out an expansion of its MediaFLO service, which provides digital television to cell phones. Ironically, Verizon Wireless' V Cast is the biggest MediaFLO-based service in the US now.
The Obama administration, in response to reports that the coupon program to help citizens get converter boxes for their existing analog televisions had run out of money, said it was considering extending the deadline, and bills are already underway in the Senate to modify the program.
However, between a big corporation and two million senior citizens, rural residents, and poor people who haven't yet converted to digital TV, it seems likely that the new Congress would be more likely to fall on the populist side, particularly when AT&T and Verizon are willing to go along with it.
"Does anyone care? TV on cellphones has been slow to take off in this country," said US News and World Report yesterday. "So it seems highly unlikely that Qualcomm has much leverage to stall this stall."
We have all known that this change would come. It was delayed once already. Lets, just get this over with!
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|Yes, I totally agree, people have had nearly two years (more or less) to get ready for this so there is no important reason to delay it. May as well get it over with and stop the delay. One delay only creates another one, it is no wonder the USA does not get far with such things..
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|This is great.
If all goes as it typically does, they will decide this issue sometime in November.
I know!!! We need the UN!
Now, if we will all pull together and do more with less and...wait a minute, I have it!
"You and we, willing or otherwise, are the developers, programmers, and engineers of our collective technology. We hold in our hands more than the power to connect, but the power to engage and to inspire. If leadership does emanate from the top, then let us now use the new President's model as a blueprint, that we may aspire to redevelop our world into something that is more efficient, more livable, more workable -- something we will proudly pass to our children and our successors. Let's not wait for the appointment of a national CTO or the issuance of a policy statement, or something that plays to our love of gadgetry. We have a job in front of us that's bigger than the devices in our hand or our car or our briefcase. There'll be time for them, but it's time now to think bigger, plan more broadly, and to do more with what we have.
For the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things, we re-dedicate ourselves and our mission."
There, that should invoke a few tears...
OK, OK, you can stop laughing now...Here's a hanky...
Now get back to work! LOL!
(Sorry Scott, but after you fancied our thinking you were "young", I just couldn't resist! And yes, you should be old enough to distinguish between symbolism and substance. ;-) )
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|Rotfl! I love it! They should hire you to write speeches for the Ceos of technology corporations. The folks at Yahoo and Live need you. Lol!
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|http://sethf.com/essays/major/libstupid.php
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