Spain delays digital dividend plan
July 25, 2014
From David Del Valle in Madrid
The Spanish Government will not approve the digital dividend plan until September as the initial schedule to go ahead in July has been delayed.
The plan should legislate for the freeing up of the 800 Mhz band frequencies currently used by DTT to the benefit of 4G service providers.
In the last quarter of the year, the existing 15 DTT channels (after the closure of nine DTT channels which reduced the number from 24 to 15) will have to change their frequencies with Spaniards having to bear the cost of retuning.
The digital migration must be completed before January 15 with the 800 MHz band frequencies being used full time by 4G operators such as Telefonica, Vodafone or Orange which paid €1.6 billion for the licences in an auction.