These disadvantages are likely to worsen, as the waves that distribute cell phones and wireless Internet connections grow always more crowded.
The Federal Communications Commission has a solution: retrieve waves of "ineffective" users - in particular, television broadcasting organizations - and auction to the highest bidder, sharing some of the product with volunteers to give up wave television stationsknown in the trade as the spectrum.
Broadcasters, however, are furious against the plan, opening the way to an old media against new media lobbying battle with cell phone companies and the Government.
"We're in combat mode to protect broadcasters have been forced to give up spectrum,", said Gordon h. Smith, President of the National Association of Broadcasters and former Senator of the United States, addressing its members at their meeting by the last week. CTIA, the Group lobbying for the industry of wireless, quickly fired back, accusing "desperate and inaccurate stall tactics" broadcasters, said Steve Largent, President of the group, which is a former member of Congress from Oklahoma and a member of the Hall of Fame of Pro Football.
Broadcasters have long been in a State of siege, audiences slipping away on television by cable, their defection to the Internet advertisers. Although waive spectrum would go unnoticed by most of the spectators, the struggle to retain a fair share of waves may be more major battle of the industry over the years.
"We will not volunteer,", said Leslie Moonves, leader of the CBS. "The spectrum is our soul." CBS owns and operates 14 stations in large markets that the F.C.C. intends to sell compromised spectrum.
Some legislators on Capitol Hill, the battle is likely to be fought in the next year, the corridors have already challenged the assertion that the auction would be entirely voluntary.
"Sounds just like a bank holdup," Representative John d. Dingell, a prominent Democrat of Michigan, said the F.C.C. Chairman, Julius Genachowski, at a hearing in February. "You hold a gun to the head of the cashier and say, ' we know that you will voluntarily give me money.". If you do not, I'll take you. ??“
The Government, the cellular spectrum overcrowded and broadband wireless networks have developed the United States on a "spectrum crisis" which will allow unresolved, threaten technology leadership and the nation's economic growth. Megahertz 120 spectrum sought by broadcasters would increase the amount available for the cell phones and other wireless devices by about 22% 667 megahertz. In addition, the administration of Obama said he wants to release a megahertz 380 additional for wireless Internet use.
"This growth in demand goes no further," Mr. Genachowski said broadcasters last week. "The only thing that can respond to the growing global demand for mobile increases the overall supply of spectrum and the effectiveness of its use."
From the days of analog signals, television bands leave large spaces between the stations to avoid any interference - as a result, their ineffectiveness. For television cable and satellite viewers, airwave changes make no difference of receipt. But for the 11 million households who continue to use an antenna to receive signals in direct (and therefore does not subscribe to cable or satellite) there may be interference between stations as the F.C.C. tries to press TV signals in a crunch frequency bands.
Officials deny this, but as the conversion to digital broadcasting has shown, there may be unexpected when consequences you mess with the physics of broadcasting.
Mr. Genachowski won the idea to hang on the spectrum of some broadcasters. Also, a group of 112 economists who specialize in telecommunications, design updated auction and sent competition policy a letter Obama President urging to push Congress to approve incentives auction. Three bills have been introduced by supporting the idea of Congress.
But some members of Congress have opposed the plan, and the Group of broadcasters is a formidable enemy. The Group spent nearly 14 million $ on lobbying last year and made a further $886,000 campaign contributions for the 2010 elections, according to the Center for Responsive Politics in Washington.
