MADISON, Wis. -- In June, the nation's analog television signals fizzled out as TV stations transitioned to the digital age. Part of that transition was so that broadcast airwaves could be opened up, but recently, commercials have appeared saying over-the-air broadcasting might be shutting down all together.

The latest smart phones have applications for just about everything, but every single download uses up a valuable resource. According to Barry Orton, professor of telecommunications at the University of Wisconsin, the broadcast spectrum is filling up one download at a time and he said that reality requires a change.

"The problem is there's a limited amount. Like land or the ocean, you can't make any more and you can only parcel it out so far," he said.

Orton said that he thinks change is in the air.

"I think there are going to be some changes as we go forward," Orton said, "but for now, the competing companies … are all bumping up against each other."

As wireless devices continue to gain popularity, the Federal Communications Commission is looking for better ways to parcel out the broadcast bandwidth, and an option on the table that the FCC is considering involves taking space from free, over-the-air broadcasters.

"They got a free ride for a very long time on the tax payer's dime," Orton said. "It was as if the federal government gave -- and I guess it did in some places -- free land for people to graze their cattle on."

But Michelle Vetterkind, president of the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association, said that airspace provides a service and can even be a lifeline for those who don't have cable.

"(If) the digital signal or the high-definition signal (were) taken away, local news would suffer, emergency alerts, amber alerts," Vetterkind said.

The WBA said one-quarter of Wisconsin's viewers only have over-the-air channels on their TV, and Vetterkind said she doesn't think turning off free TV is a viable answer.

"I think this is something that a lot of people don't realize," she said. "Over-the-air broadcast is truly the lifeline for so many people."

For now, over-the-air TV will continue, but Orton said the broadcast spectrum could be full within the next five years unless something is done.

The FCC is giving people on both sides of the argument until the middle of February to turn in formal comments, which the WBA has done. After February, the FCC will bring a plan to Congress.