HARMAN SUPPORTS ONE-TIME DTV DELAY EXPECTED TO BE VOTED ON LATER TODAY

But lawmaker warns that any further delays could jeopardize the nationwide public safety network that is our ultimate goal

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Jane Harman (D-Venice) released the following statement on legislation that would delay the DTV transition:

I sympathize with Americans who are unprepared for the DTV transition, many of whom are elderly, minorities, or residents of rural areas.  Television is important to our lives and can serve as a vital resource in times of emergency.  For those reasons, I support this legislation.

But the DTV transition’s real purpose seems sadly to have receded in importance.  We are requiring broadcasters to cease analog operations for a reason:  to use that spectrum to build a truly interoperable, national wireless network for emergency communications.

The lessons of 9/11 are fading.  Hundreds of firefighters died in the World Trade Center because they could not talk to police circling overhead who saw the towers glowing red and in imminent danger of collapse.  At the Pentagon that day, fire departments could not communicate with each other, a recurring problem in every natural disaster since. 

The key to preventing this tragic communication failure is to build a nationwide, interoperable broadband network so rescue workers from different units and different jurisdictions can communicate using voice, video, or text even though they operate on separate radio frequencies.

The foundation of this nationwide public safety network is the spectrum that is currently used for analog television broadcasting. 

My hope is that this modest, one-time delay will help our most vulnerable citizens without jeopardizing the nationwide public safety network that is our ultimate goal.

It has been almost eight years since the 9/11 attacks.  Police, firefighters, and EMTs all over the country – and the families they protect – are counting on us to finally get this right.

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