Thank you Mr. Chair, and good afternoon ladies and gentlemen.
I am Marc Dupuis, director general responsible for spectrum engineering at Industry Canada. I am pleased to be here today to provide the committee with insight into my organization's role in the conversion of over-the-air television to digital TV.
Digital television transmission makes more efficient use of the radio spectrum. As Jean-Pierre mentioned, digital TV translates into improved picture, multi-channel audio and widescreen high-definition viewing for over-the-air viewers. It also offers other multimedia features not available in analog TV. Satellite and cable TV subscribers already enjoy these benefits, and this conversion has no impact on those viewers. Furthermore, conversion to digital will free up parts of valuable airwaves for other important services, such as those known as fourth generation services. They include smart devices, smart phones and other broadband devices, as well as public safety communications systems serving police, fire and ambulance service providers.
Under the Radiocommunication and Broadcasting Acts, Industry Canada is responsible for the technical and spectrum management aspects of the digital television transition. There are two major aspects to this role of interest today. First is our role in setting the broadcasting technical rules and the creation of the television allotment plan where each channel is given to a broadcaster in each market. Second is our role in certifying that stations can operate safely and without interference.
Let me start with the first role. The department started the investigation of digital over-the-air television in the early 1990s and published the first digital allotment plan in 1998 to allow broadcasters to simultaneously broadcast their TV programming in both digital and analog formats. This plan was developed over many years, based on technical sharing criteria, to ensure that one station would not cause interference to another station, whether in Canada or across the border in the United States. At that time, no mandatory date was imposed, and the decision was left to broadcasters to decide when to convert and when to transition, based purely on market forces.
Most countries transitioned to digital TV through a simulcast period spanning many years. In Canada, right now only about two dozen television stations currently transmit over-the-air digital television signals, and they started in about 2003. Nearby, at Camp Fortune, CBC/Radio-Canada is transmitting its programming in both analog and digital formats, in both official languages.
In 2007, the CRTC announced the DTV transition date, as Jean-Pierre mentioned earlier, of August 31, 2011, in order to generally align the shutdown date of analog TV within a North American market timeframe. Our department published the final allotment plan to provide each broadcaster a digital TV channel within channels 2 to 51, to be used after the termination of analog television. Consistent with the CRTC decision, the final plan requires stations that are currently transmitting on channels 52 to 69 in analog format to either move to a lower channel remaining in analog format or to convert to digital television within that range.
As you may be aware, the U.S. converted to all-digital TV in June 2009. The department negotiated arrangements with the United States to share the television spectrum along the international border between our countries. The importance of these arrangements is that Canadian and U.S. stations were able to transition at different times—all this, without causing interference to each other.
Industry Canada's second role is that of providing broadcast certificates to broadcasters. This is an essential requirement for the safe and interference-free operation of their TV transmitters. The CRTC licenses broadcasters to operate over the air. Industry Canada certifies, before the broadcasting licence is issued, that the station can operate according to the approved technical parameters. Industry Canada and the CRTC are currently processing applications for stations to operate new digital transmitters in compliance with the final allotment plan for August 31, 2011.
I can attest that Industry Canada is capable of processing all the demand for broadcast certificates in a timely fashion, well ahead of the planned shutdown date.
Of course, Industry Canada will also be responsible for licensing the 700 MHz band, which is the spectrum where TV will be removed, for advanced communications services while also making it available to public safety organizations. In this regard, last December the department issued a comprehensive public consultation to determine the process for awarding these licences. Close to 90 submissions were received from interested parties. We will make recommendations to our minister after the reply comment period closes on March 30 of this year. This will then be followed by a second consultation on the licensing framework. We expect licensing, via some auction process, at least for the commercial spectrum, to take place in late 2012.
In closing, I would like to underline the continued collaboration of my department with broadcasters and officials at the CRTC and Canadian Heritage. We are working closely with the CRTC to issue the broadcast certificates and licences. As broadcasters transition to DTV in the coming months, we will do our utmost to ensure a smooth conversion process.
I would be happy to answer any questions that the committee may have. Thank you.