The DTV Transition Nightmare

The FCC just held and auction of TV channels 52 thru 69. The US treasury 
  will get over $18 billion for this spectrum in the next few months and 
after the DTV transition they will be able to and will use these 
channels intensively to make money.

Some may use their spectrum for broadcasting TV and some for cellular 
broadband but all will use up to date modulations and codecs to be as 
efficient as possible.

After some time has past someone in Congress is going to notice that 
while channels 52 through 69 are being used intensively and lots of new 
broadcast and broadband services are attracting millions of paying 
customers, the DTV channels below 52, channels 2 through 51, are being 
used by only ONE PERCENT of the population.

That new Senator or Representative first elected in 2008 will seek to 
make his or her mark by pointing out that Congress could buy every one 
of those ONE PERCENT of households who still RELY on OTA DTV a couple of 
50" plasma HDTV sets and a Cadillac for a FRACTION of the money that 
Congress could raise in an auction of channels 2 through 51.

If the FCC can raise $18 Billion today then after channels 52 through 69 
are successful they will be able to raise $100 Billion for channels 2 
through 51.

And they will.

Bob Miller