Wave: You and Representative Chip Pickering (R-MS, Third District) were big supporters of the analog sunset provision. Why do you think the sunset date is important to the evolution of digital technology?
Mr. Inslee: Well, whether you believe in evolution biologically, you need to believe in evolution when it comes to technology. Representative Pickering and a couple dozen of our Democratic and Republican colleagues wrote a letter to the FCC in support of analog sunset, because we believe it will free up capital to invest in new technologies. I’m sure that’s another letter they’ll listen to
(smiling).
It is certainly a challenge for Congress to keep up with technology and sometimes you have to make decisions that cause discomfort for some. The digital television
transition is one of those areas. We’re grappling with the signal converter box program, but it’s critical that we find ways to move forward technologically. We might not invent technology here in Congress, but we’d like to do things that allow these new systems to be implemented.
Wave: You also have some strong thoughts about the use of TV white spaces. How you think that slice of spectrum should be used?
Mr. Inslee: I believe there are very good prospects there for technologies that we can’t imagine right now. The technology whizzes in my neck of the woods, who want to develop new unlicensed services, tell me they think white spaces are an undervalued asset and that related policy issues ought to receive more discussion because of the spaces’ potential. Someday we’ll all have universal personal communications devices, and a smart grid of some type could connect those devices to things such as the appliances in our homes. The unlicensed white spaces have potential to do some enormous good. However, there’s a big if. That’s if there are not interference issues. There are various trials underway to assess that,
and those are important. I think Congress will be interested in following that. I’d like to see that potential realized while not interfering with the arguments
we’re having with our wives over the cell phone, so we want to make sure that
doesn’t happen. (Laughter.)
Wave: As long as we do what we’re told to do, what’s the problem?
Mr. Inslee: That’s right. Although a little interference might come in handy. “Honey, I can’t hear you now!” (Laughter.)
Wave: Hopefully, we don’t need that kind of “help” too often.
Mr. Inslee: That’s for sure.
