Amid growing calls for the U.S. Congress to delay the nation's transition to digital television, the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and four public safety organizations urged lawmakers to keep the original Feb. 17 deadline.

This week, a representative of U.S. President-elect Barack Obama, the Consumers Union, and the Electronics TakeBack Coalition, a computer recycling advocacy group, all called on Congress to delay the transition. The calls for a delay came after the U.S. National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) said its TV Converter Box Coupon Program, with a US$1.3 billion budget from Congress, was out of money.

The digital converter boxes are needed for televisions that get over-the-air broadcasts, and the NTIA program provided $40 coupons for U.S. residents to purchase the converter boxes. Basic converter boxes cost between $40 and $80.

Despite the calls for a transition delay, the CEA said any changes in the schedule would cause widespread confusion among U.S. consumers. While U.S. residents applying for the NTIA coupons are being put on a waiting list, U.S. retailers have converter boxes available, said Gary Shapiro, CEA's president and CEO.

"Consumers have been bombarded with information regarding the Feb. 17 firm transition date, and all available information shows that nearly 100 percent of consumers are aware of the transition and are taking the necessary steps," Shapiro said in a statement. "Tens of millions of Americans have already taken action based on the firm transition date, and moving the date would require starting a massive education effort from scratch."

Part of the spectrum being vacated was sold in a U.S. Federal Communications Commission auction that concluded in early 2008. Another piece of the spectrum is designated for a nationwide wireless network for police and fire departments, but the FCC auction did not receive the minimum bid designated by the FCC, and the agency hasn't yet decided how to re-auction that spectrum.

Many wireless experts see the 700MHz spectrum being vacated by television stations as optimal for offering long-range wireless broadband service.

"First responders urgently need the analog spectrum, as do innovators waiting to deploy innovative new wireless broadband services," Shapiro added in his statement.

Representatives of Verizon and AT&T, both winners of large parts of the 700MHz spectrum, declined to comment on whether their companies would support a delay in the transition.

However, the heads of four public-safety groups sent a letter to Obama Friday, calling for no delays in the spectrum designated for use by police and fire departments. "An important benefit of the DTV transition is that it clears spectrum in the 700 MHz band for new interoperable radio communications systems for law enforcement, fire, emergency medical and other public safety agencies," said the letter, signed by the heads of Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the International Association of Fire Chiefs and the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council.