Ofcom's Digital Dividend Review looked into how best to use the radio spectrum that will be released by the switch to all-digital television broadcasting between 2008 and 2012.

The BBC submitted its response to Ofcom on 20 March 2007. In it, the BBC argued for at least one-third of the released spectrum to be allocated to the public service broadcasters - the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Five - to develop free-to-air high-definition (HD) channels on digital terrestrial television (Freeview).

The BBC believes that Ofcom's proposal to auction all the spectrum will not produce this outcome. The BBC believes that ensuring continuing universal access to high-quality public service broadcasting, free-to-air on all main platforms, should be a key public policy objective of the Review.

A report was also produced by independent consultants Indepen, which assessed the loss to the UK in private and public benefit if public service broadcasters were not able to develop high-definition services. Indepen calculated that the loss would range between £4.1bn and £15.6bn in combined private and social value.