SES Astra says Spain favours DTT
May 13, 2016
From David Del Valle in Madrid
SES Astra Spain has claimed that Spain lacks technology neutrality with Regional and Local Government against satellite in favour of DTT networks.
The General Director of SES Astra Spain, Luis Sahún, says that despite the EU stating last year that the financial aid to the extension of DTT to isolated areas is illegal, no public tender has been called with no opportunity for the satellite to make the DTT extension. In Spain, he said, the bet is on DTT “with two big groups”. And this despite the fact, according to him, that the DTT extension is much more expensive via terrestrial with an estimated cost of €1 billion in ten years versus €90 million in the case of satellite.
Sahún warns that the situation will be worse with the second digital dividend in 2020 when DTT runs out of space for advanced TV services (UHD).