In September 2005, the Government confirmed that digital switchover will take place between 2008 and 2012, ITV region by ITV region, starting in the Border TV region. Digital switchover (DSO) is the process of changing the UK’s television broadcasting to digital. Digital switchover will involve converting the current terrestrial television broadcasting network, as well as communicating to everyone the need to convert or upgrade their TV and recording equipment to receive digital television.
During the transitional period between the start of DSO preparation work (2006) and the end of DSO roll out (2012), the implementation of the DSO plan has the potential to cause some interference to the normal reception of the analogue terrestrial services (BBC1, BBC2, Channel 3, Channel 4/S4C and Channel 5), the existing digital terrestrial television (DTT) services (comprising the six DTT multiplexes as currently broadcast from 80 transmission sites around the UK) and the six DTT multiplex services as they will be broadcast after switchover on a region by region basis.
Ofcom’s multiplex licences currently include a condition requiring the broadcasters to comply with the Code of Practice on Changes to Existing Transmission and Reception Arrangements (the Code). In January 2007, Ofcom issued a discussion paper on a replacement Code updated to take into account the scale and likely works associated with DSO. A summary of the main comments received and Ofcom’s responses are set out below.