While the U.S. DTV channel allocation process may seem complex, consider how much more difficult it would be if the channels had to be coordinated with more than 100 countries! Approximately 1,000 delegates faced that challenge at the Regional Radio Conference 2006.
United Kingdom telecommunications regulator Ofcom reported last week that an international agreement secured "near-universal availability of digital terrestrial television (Freeview) in the UK by 2012." Some of the outcomes of the agreement include protection of analog TV broadcast signals until the switchover, protection of non-broadcasting services, and the flexibility to allocate spectrum after the DTV switchover on a technology and service-neutral basis, subject to certain technical restrictions. Agreements were also reached supporting expansion of digital radio.
