Spain finally grants €172m for DTT migration
February 27, 2019
From David Del Valle in Madrid
The Spanish Administration will allocate €172 million to help Spaniards retune their antennas in the second digital migration.
€150 million will be allocated to local communities to finance the adjustment of antennas and €22 million to operators to simulcast their transmissions.
The State Secretary of Digital Advance, Francisco Polo, confirmed at MWC in Barcelona that the DTT Plan will be finally approved by the cabinet before general election day on April 28th. He ruled out any delay to also meet with the 5G deadlines since the 5G auction must take place by the beginning of 2020.
The financial packages are lower than the €289 million grants in the first DTT migration in 2015.
Spaniards must retune their antennas before DTT transmissions are switched off in the 694-790 MHz band by June 2020.
Under the new DTT plan, broadcasters must release the current 694-790 MHz band to the benefit of 5G services and use the 470-694 MHz band with radioelectric channels from 21 to 48. Broadcasters will operate the same and the current 8 digital multiplexes (RGE1, RGE2, MPE1, MPE2, MPE3, MPE4, MPE5 and MAUT) will keep nationwide and regional coverage – but must migrate to HD before January 1st 2023.