OTTAWA – It’s time for the CRTC to set a deadline for Canadian television broadcasters to shut off their analog signals, Industry Canada’s assistant deputy minister Michael Binder told a wireless gathering this morning.
The 700 MHz band, which broadcasters use to send their traditional over-the-air analog signals, is being given back to the U.S. government as of February 17, 2009 and Binder says now is the time to set a deadline in Canada. “We would like to see broadcasters vacate this band and we could use (it) for other applications,” he said during the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association Public Forum on the upcoming spectrum auction.
Binder added that IC has suggested both to Heritage Canada and the CRTC “to follow the Americans and set up a date for digital migration from analog to digital and freeing up the 700 MHz band.”
Canada’s decision to wait for the digital television market (often just thought of as the high definition market, but it’s more than that) to develop a bit Stateside was a good one, added Binder, but now is the time to act here in Canada.
“We’ve been struggling with whether Canada should set up a date for transitioning just as the Americans have done,” he said, noting that the American government has set aside a billion dollars to help pay for the 35 million-plus Americans who will still be analog TV consumers when the deadline passes. “It was smart for Canada to see what the U.S. is doing but we believe they are now very very serious.”
While some policy wonks debate who can set such a deadline here in Canada (Cabinet? Industry Canada? Heritage?) Binder said he believes it’s up to the CRTC.
“The CRTC has the right and the power to do it, just like the FCC has,” he added
“And I hope they will.”
Binder also touched upon the spectrum allocated to digital radio, a transition that is at a dead stop in Canada. Canadian broadcasters originally pursued the DAB standard being deployed in Europe while American broadcasters picked the in band on channel (IBOC) technology and call it HD Radio.
“We need to deal with digital radio,” said Binder, adding specific frequencies have been allocated in the L band.
However, Canadian radio companies have not moved to use the spectrum commercially.
“We have to decide what we are going to do with the L Band,” he said. “It’s an interesting band for development.”
