Rep. Rick Boucher, D-VA, said last week he will introduce legislation that will take funds from the FCC’s 700MHz spectrum auction and give it to the fund to purchase additional DTV-to-analog converter boxes.
The government’s coupon program has almost $1.5 billion to cover converter boxes, but many — including the NAB — feel that’s not nearly enough. The NAB voiced support for the legislation.
The FCC auction expects to raise almost $20 billion. Only the U.S. Treasury has already allotted half of that.
The NTIA, the government agency administering the DTV conversion box program, has said it thinks the program has enough money to cover the people who will need the boxes.