Federal officials say millions of U.S. households may soon lose their TV signal next week as a result of the upcoming digital TV transition.

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Federal Communications Commission acting head Michael J. Copps said while many households nationwide have taken steps to prepare for next Saturday's change from an analog signal, millions have not, The New York Times reported Saturday.

"We are much better prepared than we were in February, when the original transition was to have occurred, but there will nonetheless be significant disruptions," Copps said. "In the past five months we've tried to accomplish what should have been done over the last four years."

Copps said among those households likely facing a loss of TV signal are low-income families, along with the elderly and households in rural areas.

Nielsen Company officials agree the June 12 digital transition will leave millions of households without cable or satellite services with no TV signal.

The Times said officials also expect millions of additional households to face related technical issues following the changeover as a result of antenna or reception problems.