The European Commission yesterday urged EU Member States to accelerate the switchover from analogue to digital broadcasting.
Digital broadcasting provides improved picture quality, better sound, better portable and mobile reception, more TV and radio channels and enhanced information services. As digital broadcasting uses spectrum more efficiently, it would also free up spectrum capacity for other uses, such as new broadcasting and mobile telephony services, which will in turn stimulate innovation and growth in the TV and electronic communications industries.
The Commission expects the transition to digital to be well advanced by 2010 and proposes a deadline of early 2012 for phasing out traditional analogue terrestrial broadcasting.
The Commission also calls for a co-ordinated approach to making freed-up spectrum available across the EU.