WASHINGTON – The Commerce Department, through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), today announced it is recommending that 115 MHz of spectrum be reallocated for wireless broadband service within the next five years – an important step towards achieving President Obama's goal to nearly double the amount of commercial spectrum available over the next decade.
News and Publications
WASHINGTON—The Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today announced that with two months until the transition to digital television concludes, 76 percent of all households that rely on television with an antenna have requested coupons from the TV Converter Box Coupon Program. Based on self-reporting, 11 million households have requested coupons out of 14.3 million that Nielsen says rely on TV over-the-air. The program helps households switch to digital television when full-power TV broadcasters transition from analog to 1
WASHINGTON -- The Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today announced that more than 40 million coupons have been requested, and more than 16 million coupons have been redeemed, to date, from the TV Converter Box Coupon Program.
WASHINGTON -- The Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today hosted more than 25 federal agencies to further coordinate efforts to educate vulnerable Americans about the February 17, 2009, deadline to transition to digital television and the TV Converter Box Coupon Program. To date, more than 20 million households have requested more than 39 million coupons and redeemed more than 16 million coupons since the program opened on January 1, 2008.
WASHINGTON -- The Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today applauded EDUCAUSE’s actions to introduce Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) in the .EDU top-level domain. EDUCAUSE is responsible for the management of .EDU through a cooperative agreement with the Department of Commerce.
WASHINGTON—The Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) awarded today $1.65 million to the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund (LCCREF) to help vulnerable populations transition to digital television with the TV Converter Box Coupon Program. Coupons should be requested by the end of the year for consumers to be prepared when full-power TV broadcasters switch from analog to 100 percent digital broadcasts after February 17, 2009—88 days from today.
WASHINGTON—The Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced today an award of $2.7 million to the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) to help seniors transition to digital television through the TV Converter Box Coupon Program. Full-power TV broadcasters switch from analog to 100 percent digital broadcasts after February 17, 2009.
WASHINGTON -- The Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today announced updated participation rates by television market and that 62 percent of all over-the-air households, those that rely on an antenna for broadcast TV, have requested coupons from the TV Converter Box Coupon Program. The program helps households switch to digital television when full-power TV broadcasters transition from analog to 100 percent digital broadcasts on February 17, 2009--100 days from today.
WASHINGTON--Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today issued a Notice of Inquiry seeking public comments regarding the deployment of Domain Name and Addressing System Security Extensions (DNSSEC) into the Internet’s DNS infrastructure, including the authoritative root zone. Comments are due by November 24, 2008. The Notice of Inquiry is available online at www.ntia.doc.gov.
WASHINGTON–The Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), announced today that “over-the-air” television viewers who want to participate in the TV Converter Box Coupon Program should apply for coupons before the end of the year to minimize the chances of losing TV reception when full-power broadcasters switch to digital. Full-power TV broadcasters switch from analog to 100 percent digital broadcasts on February 17, 2009.
WASHINGTON - U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez announced today that residents of licensed nursing homes, intermediate care facilities, assisted living facilities and households that use a post office box for mail delivery will be eligible to request coupons from the TV Converter Box Coupon Program. The rule change takes effect 30 days after publication in the Federal Register.
WASHINGTON — As Wilmington prepares to be the first market to transition from analog to digital television on September 8, the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced today that more than 36,000 Wilmington households have requested 67,000 coupons and redeemed 25,000 from the TV Converter Box Coupon Program. More than 17,000 of these households rely on television with an antenna, according to coupon applications.
WASHINGTON - The Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced today that nearly 6.4 million “over-the-air” TV households, those that rely on an antenna for broadcast TV, have requested about 12 million coupons from the TV Converter Box Coupon Program. The program helps households switch to digital television when full-power TV broadcasters switch from analog to 100 percent digital broadcasts in six months.
WASHINGTON- The Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced today that the TV Converter Box Coupon Program has certified more than 150 converter boxes, including 63 that enable viewers to watch both analog broadcasts from low-power television stations and digital programs from full-power television stations. To date, more than 6.3 million converters have been purchased using a $40 coupon from the Program.
WASHINGTON-U.S. Commerce Acting Assistant Secretary Meredith Attwell Baker today issued the following statement on the announcement that the nation's cable operators, working through the National Cable and Telecommunications Association (NCTA), have reached an unprecedented agreement with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Members of NCTA will use NCMEC's database of Web sites identified as containing child pornography to ensure that no such site is hosted on servers owned or controlled by those companies.
Commerce's NTIA To Address Native American Leaders and To Seek Outreach Assistance in Indian Country
WASHINGTON - Lynn Chadwick, Program Officer for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's (NTIA) Office of Telecommunications and Information Applications, will address Native American leaders at the Federal Communication Commission Indian Telecommunication Initiative from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. on Thursday, July 17, 2008, at the Indian Walk-in Center, 120 West 1300 South Street, Salt Lake City, Utah.
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), a division of the U.S. Department of Commerce, today issued the following consumer alert about the Microprose MPI-500 and MPI-500PT digital-to-analog converter boxes. Statements about the models were made in a May 20 press release by the Community Broadcasters Association and Microprose Systems LLC. NTIA is discussing the announcement with these organizations.
WASHINGTON—U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez today issued the following
statement announcing one million coupons have been used as part of the National Telecommunications
and Information Administration (NTIA) TV Converter Box Coupon Program.
“The nation is nine months away from the historic February 17, 2009, digital television transition for
all full-power broadcasters. I encourage all Americans who rely on an antenna for their television
programs to learn about their options for the digital transition and to act on their decision.
WASHINGTON—U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez today issued the following statement marking 300 days until the nation makes the switch to digital broadcasting on February 17, 2009.
“Today, the nation is 300 days away from the historic digital television transition for all full-power broadcasters. Already, more than 650,000 households have acted by purchasing a converter box and are now experiencing the benefits of digital television with a clearer picture and more programming choices.
WASHINGTON—Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez announced over 10 million coupons
have been requested since the launch of the TV Converter Box Program on January 1, 2008. The
February 17, 2009 transition will offer consumers a clearer picture, more programming choices and
free up the airwaves for better communications among emergency first responders. The Commerce
Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is administering
the TV Converter Box Coupon Program.