Senator John McCain has introduced a new version of his Save Lives Act, which would provide federal funds to subsidize the purchase of new digital TV receivers by poorer Americans, so that broadcasters can switch to digital broadcasting and free analog spectrum. McCain was joined by 9/11 Commission chairman Thomas Kean, whose Commission's report called for an "expedited and increased assignment of radio spectrum for public safety purposes." McCain and Kean criticized broadcasters for dragging their feet on the matter. "Why they would choose not to act in the public interest is something they will have to answer for," McCain said. The new bill would force broadcasters to return analog spectrum to the government by the end of 2008, while also providing $463 million for 9.3 million U.S. households to purchase digital receivers; a previous version of the bill had called for $1 billion. Current law states that broadcasters don't have to switch to digital until 85% of households in a given market have digital TVs. "Local television stations provide a lifeline service during terrorist attacks, hurricanes, tornadoes and other natural disasters," said National Association of Broadcasters president Edward Fritts. "We are committed to completing the digital transition in a timely fashion, including return of analog spectrum, and will work with Congress to ensure that millions of consumers are not left stranded by a premature end to analog broadcasting."
Ultra-Wideband (UWB) is quietly becoming one of the most strategic short-range wireless technologies in the market, moving from niche deployments into the mainstream of smartphones, cars, and smart spaces. As the ecosystem matures and next-generation implementations arrive, UWB is shifting from nice-to-have to a foundational capability for secure access, sensing, and high-performance device-to-device connectivity. UWB Technology Market Development Unlike Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, or legacy IEEE 802.15.4 implementations, UWB combines three powerful attributes in a single radio: secure ranging, radar-like sensing, and low-latency, high-throughput short-range data. This allows networking and IT vendors to architect experiences that blend precise location, context awareness, and rich interaction in ways traditional connectivity stacks cannot easily match. According to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research, UWB is expected to be one of the fastest-growing wireless connectivity...