The government recently put in place a $1.5 billion coupon program to assist millions of consumers before the digital transition in February of 2009. The coupons where designed for the millions of users nation wide with older model TV sets that rely on antennas to watch TV. For these people who only see analog channels to begin with who don’t get a converter box before the transition they will be looking at nothing but a blank screen.

Each household is eligible for two of these coupons which are good for $40 each. According to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration so far about 8.5 million households have requested 16 million coupons.

While these numbers seem good there has been a lot of trouble with the governments coupon program recently. Out of those 16 million requested coupons, only about 3 million coupons have been redeemed so far. Many Americans are finding it hard to find these digital TV converter boxes at all with such high demand to local stores. On top of that a large number of people are realizing that their coupons will be of no use anyways as they have already expired after the 90 days they are good for.

With lawmakers not willing to change any deadlines to the program combined with the fact that consumers can not reapply to the program a large number of coupons are going to go unusable. While millions consumers are left right where they where to begin with.