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[admin]

There is a major debate over what should happen to the spectrum for analogue TV after switchover.

If the Government auctions off use of the spectrum to private companies who could use it for uses such as mobile phone TV, it could obtain a substantial amount of money.

In 2000 the Government raise £22bn with the auctioning of 3G mobile phone broadcast licences.

However, an alliance of public service broadcasters, consumer electronics manufacturers and retailers HD for All is lobbying for a third of the spectrum to be set aside for free-to-watch High Definition television.

This would enable the BBC and current terrestrial broadcasters to air programmes in superior quality HD-TV.


Article


What are your thoughts, should we get this money back as 1p off Tax or should the government pocket the money.... for us all?

[Danow]

Broadcasters should be allowed to utilise the spare frequencies for free to air HDTV.

It is ridiculous that the govt hopes to raise lots of money from this (but less than 3g, when telecoms companies almost bankrupted themselves) yet the TV licence payer has to subsidise some people getting set top boxes.