You are in --> ICDG --> -News Centre --> 24th March 2001

Analogue switch-off conditions announced.

The Office of the Director of Telecommunications Regulation yesterday announced the terms under which licences for the Digital Terrestrial Television platform will be granted later this year. As required under the Broadcasting Act 2001, the ODTR will issue licences to two companies - the Transmission Company (initally RTE Network, which will be mostly privatised by trade sale to the highest bidder), and the Commercial Multiplex Operator (to be appointed by the Minister for Culture). The main points of both licences is that they will last for fifteen years. Coverage of DTT will be required to reach 99% of the population after 10 years. This responsiblity - up to the Transmission Company - is no mean feat given that present RTE services reach only 98% of the country. Not only that, but the DTT network in the UK does not have such extensive coverage, either - certainly no where near even 90%!

Now to look at the Mux Operators licence in detail - this is the company that will deal with the public, marketing the DTT platform in Ireland, and deciding what channels will be recieved and how much they will cost. The Broadcasting Act 2001 provides that the multiplex operator will provide six multiplexes of DTT. One of these will be under the control of RTE, and another divided equally between TV3 and TG4. A third may be used for Northern Ireland FTA services if the Government or the Mux Operator so decides. The operator will have to charge a standard fee for its services throughout the Republic, but will not be the subject of Price Control Orders as the cable companies are at present. The winner of the licence will have to pay a licence fee of 3.5% of gross revenues. Most respondents to the ODTR's proposed picture quality standards thought they were too high (they allow only 5 channels a mux), The picture quality has only been slightly relaxed and will be 4Mbps, at Main Profile @ Main Level (the technicaly minded will know what this means - I don't!). A cap of 20% (with an average of 15% over 24 hours) has been placed on additional services (digital teletext and interactive services) - this excludes the EPG and Conditional Access System. (A similar cap is going to be placed on Digital MMDS - will this kill off Chorus' PowerNet?).

The ODTR also announced the conditions in which analogue switch off will take place. DTT services will have to achieve 98% coverage of Ireland (same as analogue now) and combined take up of DTT, DSat, DCab, and DMMDS will have to have reached at least 85-90%. A full decision will be taken in four years time.

The stage is now set for the competition to provide DTT to begin. Among those interested in the competition were Crown-Castle and British Telecom's Esat division - these are now set to be among those applying for the DTT licences...

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