Switzerland to cease DVB-T broadcasting in 2019
October 11, 2018
From Branislav Pekic in Rome
Switzerland will abandon DTT broadcasts during 2019 opting instead for more widespread technologies such as cable, Internet and satellite, which also offer the possibility of reception of HD channels.
This follows the awarding, by the country’s Federal Council, of a new concession to public broadcaster SSR which will come into force on January 1st 2019 and will be valid until December 31st 2022.
The concession gives SSR the opportunity to replace the second TV channel in the Italian-speaking cantons (RSI La 2) with a multimedia offer and to abandon the DVB-T network, at latest by the end of 2019.
Since newer and more efficient broadcasting technologies have been introduced, the DVB-T network now has a secondary role in Switzerland, currently being used by only 2 per cent of households.
Some 200 DVB-T transmitters are active in Switzerland and, due to the spillover effect, some can also be received in neighbouring Italy.