Mannerisms

Governments around the world will be watching to see the reaction when the US analogue signal is pulled. If all goes smoothly, it will be a massive incentive to bring forward the analogue switch-off in other countries.

Many governments relish the prospect of selling the freed-up spectrum to the mobile telecoms industry. While, for the semiconductor industry, the good thing is that digital TVs use a heck of a lot more ICs than analogue TVs.

However, governments don't want to upset voters. Even with the postponement in America, and with the issuing of $40 vouchers, costing $2.2 billion, to help people buy digital TVs or set-top-boxes, it is estimated that three million Americans are still using pain old, unaided, analogue TV sets this week.

They could get pretty mad when the signal is switched off.

The thing is, a lot of people don't seem top get the message. The FCC is said to have spent $75 million this year trying to get the message across; it has a 4,000 person call centre to answer queries about the switch; and paid for a free in-home installation service for set-top-box purchasers.

The UK seems to have gone for a creeping switch-over happening between now and 2012. Japan has pencilled in July 24^th 2011.

But if America pulls off a hassle-free switch-off on Friday, then they, and other governments, will probably look to accelerate the process.