The switchover from analogue to digital will be staggered and could begin across sections of the country as early as 2007. The Digital Television Group, the trade body for DTV, is proposing that broadcasters begin a ‘staggered switch-off’ of analogue signals across certain UK regions.
It has been suggested that the BBC, Channel 4 and ITV could begin to switch off analogue signals in 2007 across parts of the country. BBC2 is expected to be the first analogue channel to be cut, followed by BBC1 and then ITV and C4 and the staggered switch off would last five years. Trials could begin as early as this year.
There are over 80 analogue transmitters across the UK which would need to be switched off to make the transition to digital-only.
A spokesperson for the Digital Television Group said: “For technical reasons any such process would need to be staggered, but there is currently no specific date in mind. It is important that the UK drives ahead with digital switchover but it has to be done in a responsible manner.”
The Government is hoping to switch off analogue television signals altogether between 2006 and 2010 but has said that it will not do so until 95% of the population has access to digital.
More than fifty per cent of UK homes can now access multi-channel television, either thourgh Sky, Freeview or cable packages (see Digital TV Now In More Than Half Of UK Households). The launch of BBC-backed Freeview has boosted uptake, and sales of integrated digital TV’s are set to double or triple this year (see Digital Television Sales To Soar, Says Report).
But a report last month predicted that by 2010 more than one in ten households will still have refused to join the digital revolution (see Government Faces Backlash Against Analogue Switch-Off).
