UK suggests its TV to go fully online and leave airwaves clear for cellphones

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House of Lords wants UK TV to go fully online and leave airwaves clear for cellphones
By Daniel Cooper  posted Aug 1st 2012 at 2:33AM

The UK House of Lords' Communications Committee has suggested that all broadcast TV should be moved to the internet to free up wireless spectrum for cellphones.

In its report, the panel found that whilst such a network would be cheaper and more efficient in the long run, it would also require extensive re-building of the country's archaic communications infrastructure.

Given that the analog-to-digital switchover is currently in progress, it seems unlikely that a further transition will be timetabled -- especially since there are still concerns over the cost of bringing fiber-optic broadband to rural areas.

Any change in the plan will need to be rubber-stamped by Government, but perhaps it'd be more amenable if they saw how good 8K video looks on one of those connections.

The Guardian
HM Communications Committee

http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/01/house-of-lords-internet-tv-spectrum-plan/