Congress Urges FCC to Complete NextGen TV Transition

posted on 3.24.2026

- Lawmakers Tout Benefits to Consumers, Public Safety

Dozens of members of Congress this week urged the FCC to finally adopt the NextGen TV technical standard to hasten consumers’ free access to vastly improved pictures, sounds and interactive features, along with expanded local news capabilities, advanced emergency alerting and hyper-localized content.

With more than 75 percent of the U.S. population across 80 markets already able to receive NexGen TV, “the lack of a firm transition timeline threatens the broad availability of these benefits to rural and urban markets alike and slows market momentum,” they wrote.

Providing regulatory certainty will spur manufacturer investment in the consumer device marketplace to scale production of affordable, NextGen TV-ready products, and help broadcasters spark greater consumer demand by showcasing the full capabilities of the new broadcast TV technical standard 

Final adoption of the technology also would enable activation of the Broadcast Positioning System, a terrestrial complement to GPS nationwide that would provide a critical layer of protection against jamming, spoofing or other disruptions of the nation’s vital infrastructure – from financial markets to transportation and everything in between.

Texas members of Congress signing onto the joint letter to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and Commissioners Anna Gomez and Olivia Trusty include:

• Rep. Brian Babin, R-Deer Park
• Rep. John Carter, R-Round Rock
• Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas
• Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo
• Rep. Monica De La Cruz, R-Edinburg
• Rep. Craig Goldman, R-Fort Worth
• Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen
• Rep. Nathaniel Moran, R-Tyler
• Rep. August Pfluger, R-San Angelo
• Rep. Randy Weber, R-Friendswood

Questions? Contact Oscar Rodriguez or call (512) 322-9944.

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