In February of 2006, President George Bush signed into law legislation that designates midnight, February 17, 2009, as the date to complete the transition from analog to digital television broadcasting. Digital television (DTV) is an innovative new type of over-the air broadcasting technology that enables TV stations to provide dramatically clearer pictures and better sound quality. The transition from analog to digital television represents the most significant advancement of television technology since color TV was introduced decades ago.

Who will be affected once the proverbial switch is flipped? Cable, satellite, and telephone companies will take steps to continue providing service for their television subscribers. And anyone already using a digital television with an over-the-air antenna will see no change in service.

But the small number of folks who currently receive free broadcast television programming using an analog television set and an over-the air antenna will need a DTV converter box to continue to receive service. These boxes will be available in early 2008, are expected to cost about $50, and will improve the picture of even old television sets.

Congress also set aside funds for consumers who want help covering the cost of the converter boxes, and the government will issue each household up to two $40 converter box coupons upon request, also starting in early 2008. (More information about the DTV transition and the converter box coupon program is available at www.dtv.gov and www.ntia.doc.gov.)

Not only will the nation’s consumers benefit, our nation’s taxpayers will benefit as the sale of the spectrum currently occupied by the nation’s broadcasters is expected to generate billions of dollars to pay down the debt. But most importantly, with the transition to digital, our nation’s first responders will finally have access to the additional spectrum they need to communicate in times of emergency.

On that cold day in February 2006 when President Bush signed the legislation into law that set the date for the transition to digital television, we also paved the way for broadcasters to clear a spectrum for interoperable public safety communications. I was especially pleased that the new law included my amendment creating a $1 billion federal grant program, paid for by spectrum auction sales to the private sector, which will soon provide public safety officials with much-needed resources to improve interoperability using the additional spectrum the law gives them.

During any disastrous event, it is our nation’s first responders who answer the call of duty and rush into harm’s way, putting their lives on the line. In order for first responders to do their job, they must be able to communicate with one another -- not just fire, police, and EMS within one jurisdiction, but also among local, state, and federal jurisdictions.

We have been working over the last decade to provide our first responders with the vital capability to communicate interoperably and our efforts are finally coming to fruition. We have witnessed many painful events over the last decade that highlighted the critical need for interoperable communications.

On the fateful morning of September 11, 2001, New York police officers were able to hear the radio warnings from a helicopter that the North Tower of the World Trade Center was glowing red, and most of the police officers exited the building safely – while dozens of firefighters, who could not hear these warnings, tragically perished when the tower collapsed. The radio communications system used by the police was not compatible with the system used by the fire department; consequently, no warnings could be heard and many lives were lost.

Hurricane Katrina also made us acutely aware that we still had much work to do on behalf of our first responders. Coast Guard helicopters plucking survivors from police boats in flooded New Orleans could not communicate with the emergency officials in the rescue boats that were literally just feet below.

We have endured some horrible lessons during 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina as crisis communications during both of these tragic events failed. But we have made great progress, and soon public safety will have access to the 24 megahertz of spectrum they were promised and so desperately deserve.

The 9/11 Commission understood the importance of ensuring that our first responders have the equipment and spectrum necessary to communicate in times of emergency. I’m proud that we were successful in not only passing the DTV transition last Congress, but that we provided a helping hand to enable our first responders to better protect all of America.  

Fred Upton represents the Sixth District of Michigan in the U.S. House of Representatives. He is the Ranking Republican on the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet.