Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) is a spectacular success. With its low cost and easy access, it has become the most popular delivery platform for television content in Europe.
DTT networks now deliver some 2,000 TV channels and this content is enjoyed in about 50% of European households by 250 million viewers, each spending some 4 hours watching linear TV every day. This success has also contributed to the widespread adoption of the European DVB-standard across the Globe.
We have seen and continue to see European consumers investing in new receiving equipment to gain access to the service.
It is clear that European Content Creators, Consumers and the Terrestrial Broadcast Industry have made substantial investments to switch over from analogue TV to DTT, enabling the release of the 800 MHz Digital Dividend spectrum for Mobile Broadband services, resulting in a highly efficient and intensive use of the remaining 470 – 790 MHz spectrum band.
Furthermore, broadcast network operators continue to invest to optimize network design to efficiently utilize the spectrum as per the GE06 frequency plan, adjusted to take-account of the clearance of 800 MHz.
A recent appraisal of the spectrum needs of DTT in the UK has concluded that the DTT platform has a key role to play in the delivery of content to UK consumers until at least 2030. It must also be taken into consideration that in several EU member states that existing licenses for terrestrial broadcasting extend to 2020 and beyond.
In light of the above, BNE considers it is of paramount importance that the relevant European Commission policy initiatives that considers spectrum, audiovisual content, convergence, etc. should recognise the critical role played by the DTT platform. To this end the European Commission should afford the DTT platform sufficient certainty over access to spectrum to support both current and future investments to ensure that competition is maintained and that the investments made by citizens and the broadcasting industry are recognised.
Finally, BNE emphasises that DTT is a key element of the European audiovisual ecosystem both from the perspective of its contribution to content creation and through its role in ensuring social inclusion thus bridging the digital divide.
You may download BNE’s factsheet on DTT’s success story.