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NTIA Home Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005

Every day tens of millions of Americans switch on television sets for news, weather, and entertainment. Today media services are being transformed by the same digital revolution that is bringing us new media choices via the Internet. Digital television (DTV) provide new uses such as multiple video programs or other services on a single television channel, including data services, and interactive capability. Hundreds of digital television stations are already in operation in markets serving almost all of U.S. television households.

NTIA has played an active role in the development of digital television and public policy. The agency, for example, will help consumers make an affordable digital transition by providing coupons to households to defray the cost of DTV converter boxes. As the nation transitions from analog to digital, NTIA will also help enable first responders -- our firefighters and police officers -- to employ designated frequencies to improve their communications, thereby better protecting communities when emergencies arise. The Administration will continue to monitor developments and encourage its successful deployment, which will result in reclaimed radio spectrum for other important services, including public safety.

The Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005 (see Title III of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, Public Law 109-171) authorizes the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to administer several programs in Fiscal Year 2007, including:

TV Converter Box Coupon Program,
Public Safety Interoperable Communications Program,
NYC 9/11 Digital Transition, and
Low Power Television and Translator Digital-to-Analog Conversion.

Programs authorized to begin after auction proceeds are available after June 30, 2008, include:

Low Power Television and Translator Upgrade,
National Alert and Tsunami Warning Program, and
ENHANCE 911.

See the individual programs for more information.

Press and media releases and advisories are available at NTIA Press Releases.


Background Information:

FY 2008 Budget for DTV Transition and Public Safety Fund (PDF 27K)
Posted 02-05-2007

Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (S. 1932), with Title III. Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005 (188 pages, Acrobat PDF 516Kb)
Posted 02-08-2006

Digital Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005, Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate (Acrobat PDF 26Kb)

TV Converter Box Coupon Program
Click or call for coupons:
1-888-388-2009
1-888-DTV-2009

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