Ofcom OKs DTT capacity release
February 9, 2010
UK comms regulator Ofcom has given its consent to the BBC and broadcast transmission firm Arqiva jointly marketing spare capacity that has become available ahead of digital switchover, as well as new capacity that will become available following the process.
With the UK's digital switchover being managed region by region until 2012, certain unused capacity that is freed up on the BBC’s multiplex B is used to broadcast high definition TV services, while certain new capacity on Arqiva’s multiplexes C/D becomes available due to technical upgrades.
In these circumstances, pairing the BBC’s diminishing spare capacity with Arqiva’s growing spare capacity would enable two additional national TV channels to be broadcast in the near term rather than only after the completion of digital switchover, notes Ofcom.