Portugal Telecom to manage FTA DTT
July 8, 2008
From Branislav Pekic in Rome
The commission responsible for evaluating the bids on Portugal's Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) tender has given the green light to the project that Portugal Telecom plans to launch in the framework of Multiplex A that will carry free-to-air TV channels.
Portugal Telecom now has 10 working days to accept the decision. Last week ago, the commission preferred Portugal Telecom to Sweden's Airplus TV for the pay-TV licences (Multiplexes B to F). The deadline for submitting appeals on the pay-TV tender expires at the end of this week, with Airplus TV announcing it will challenge the decision.
Portugal Telecom plans to use both DTT licences to complement its pay-TV strategy, which is currently based on the Meo IPTV service and via satellite. The FTA platform will carry the four existing national TV channels (RTP1, RTP2, SIC and TVI), as well as a future fifth TV channel. The pay-TV multiplexes will carry up to 52 channels, with different packages, starting with an 18-channel basic. Portugal Telecom plans to launch its DTT offer in 2009