or available along the borders, and
hence could serve as an impetus to
switching off analogue services
throughout a given country.
LESSONS LEARNED
Every country has its own specific
challenges and each has developed
its own solutions. However, there
are common threads that appear in
the lessons learned from the
experience of those countries that
have completed and started the
transition process.
Involve all stakeholders
The success of the transition from
analogue to digital TV depends on
the involvement and active
participation of all players
throughout the process. This
enables better and direct
communication between parties
and encourages commitment of all
parties to the process.
In many countries, a steering
group is set up with members from
government, regulators, broadcasters,
network operators, manufacturers
and civil societies. The steering
group is responsible for developing
a roadmap for the management of
the transition process. The roadmap
states clearly the objectives of the
digital switchover in respect of
existing analogue services, digital
coverage, end of analogue
transmission, financial assistance to
viewers and broadcasters and use
of digital dividend spectrum. The
roadmap is used as a management
forecasting tool and is directed to
the implementation of strategy and
related to project planning. A
roadmap matches short-term and
long-term goals and indicates the
main activities and milestones
needed to meet these goals.
Legislative framework
A clear legislative framework
should include telecommunication,
media and broadcast laws, policies
on new communication and media
services, licencing and content
regulation in the new market
structure. This provides the
necessary legal and regulatory
bases underpinning the transition
process and also the certainty that
encourages long-term investments
and commitments from
FINAL THOUGHTS
We are actually watching more and
more television, in hours and
minutes of TV watched per day,
3:51 in 1988, 3:57 in 1998, a jump to
4:49 in 2008 (introduction of digital
television?) and 4:63 in 2013. But
we are watching differently,
according to comScore’s State of
Digital 2012 Report, one of three
minutes spent on digital media
occurs through smartphone or
tablet. The viewing of TV content
on devices other than the TV set is
expected to increase further. Future
TV content will be delivered by
multiple delivery means to
multiple screens of different sizes.
Will there be no rest for the digital
broadcasters?
broadcasters, network operators
and any new players in the market.
If the creation and mandate of the
steering group is written in laws or
regulations, this demonstrates
commitment and support of
government to the process which is
critical to its success.
Public communication
There are certain actions that
viewers may have to take and
information they will need to
continue receiving TV services in
digital – for example buying a set-
top box or new TV set, installing a
new aerial, knowing the date when
digital service starts and analogue
service will end, and how to retune
TV sets. Without an effective and
well planned publicity campaign
that educates viewers, viewers risk
losing their TV services. This is in
nobody’s interest. It is therefore
important to secure adequate
funding for public communication
– sufficient budgets should be
allocated by government for these
activities – and this public
communication needs to be tailored
with deep outreach into communities.
Secured funding
In many countries the
establishment of an assistance
scheme is vital to provide practical
or financial support to low income,
older or disabled people who may
find making the change difficult.
Many countries provide subsidies
to low income families to help
offset the cost of set-top-boxes.
Sufficient financial resources must
be made available to ensure
effective running of such a
programme.
MORE ONDSO
ITU (2014) Report ITU-R BT.2140-7
Transition from analogue to digital
terrestrial broadcasting
ITU web page. Status of the
transition to Digital Terrestrial
Television Broadcasting
DigiTAG (2008) Analogue switch-
off – Learning from experience in
Europe
Digital UK (2010) Digital UK’s ten
transferable lessons from the UK’s
digital TV switchover programme
The views expressed in this article are
those of the author and do not
necessarily represent the views of,
and should not be attributed to the
International Telecommunication
Union (ITU).
A remote DTT
cabin being
readied for
operation in the
UK’s Lake District
by Babcock
International
