§ 54.418   Digital Television Transition Notices by Eligible
Telecommunications Carriers.

   (a) Eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) that receive federal
   universal service funds shall provide their Lifeline or Link-Up
   customers with notices about the transition for over-the-air full power
   broadcasting from analog to digital service (the “DTV Transition”) in
   the monthly bills or bill notices received by such customers, or as a
   monthly stand-alone mailer (e.g., postcard, brochure), beginning April
   1, 2009, and concluding on June 30, 2009.

   (b) The notice must be provided as part of an information section on
   the bill or bill notice itself or on a secondary document mailed with
   the bill or bill notice, or as part of a monthly stand-alone mailer
   (e.g., postcard, brochure) in the same language or languages as the
   customer's bill or bill notice. These notices must:

   (1) Be in clear and conspicuous print;

   (2) Convey at least the following information about the DTV transition:

   (i) The nationwide switch to digital television broadcasting will be
   complete on June 12, 2009, but your local television stations may
   switch sooner. After the switch, analog-only television sets that
   receive TV programming through an antenna will need a converter box to
   continue to receive over-the-air TV. Watch your local stations to find
   out when they will turn off their analog signal and switch to
   digital-only broadcasting. Analog-only TVs should continue to work as
   before to receive low power, Class A or translator television stations
   and with cable and satellite TV services, gaming consoles, VCRs, DVD
   players, and similar products.

   (ii) Information about the DTV transition is available from your local
   television stations, http://www.DTV.gov, or 1-888-CALL-FCC (TTY
   1-888-TELL-FCC), and from http://www.dtv2009.gov or 1-888-DTV-2009 (TTY
   1-877-530-2634) for information about subsidized coupons for
   digital-to-analog converter boxes;

   (c) If an ETC's Lifeline or Link-Up customer does not receive paper
   versions of either a bill or a notice of billing, then that customer
   must be provided with equivalent monthly notices in whatever medium
   they receive information about their monthly bill or as a monthly
   stand-alone mailer (e.g., postcard, brochure).

   (d) ETCs that receive federal universal service funds shall provide
   information on the DTV Transition that is equivalent to the information
   provided pursuant to paragraph (b)(2) of this section as part of any
   Lifeline or Link-Up publicity campaigns conducted by the ETC between
   March 27, 2008, and June 30, 2009.

   [ 73 FR 28732 , May 19, 2008, as amended at  74 FR 8878 , Feb. 27, 2009]

   return arrow Back to Top