Ofcom Digital Terrestrial TV statement

The UK regulator Ofcom have announced their plans for high definition digital terrestrial TV.

They say:
"The MPEG-4 and DVB-T2 technologies should be introduced to one universal coverage multiplex (Multiplex B as currently operated by BBC Free to View Limited); this should enable carriage of three HD (or up to 15 standard definition (SD)) sized services from 2009 and a fourth service available from 2012."

"Capacity should, in principle, be reserved for core PSB services on universal coverage ( PSB) multiplexes, including Five and S4C, TG4 and the Gaelic Digital Service (GDS) - if approved for DTT carriage by the BBC Trust.

The reorganisation should be linked to DSO and should start in the Granada region in late 2009. The first three blocks of Multiplex B capacity should become available at that point with a fourth expected in 2011 or 2012.

The BBC Trust should retain oversight of the use of one of the first three blocks. The other two of these blocks should be available for award by Ofcom through a comparative selection process later this year with the fourth block awarded by Ofcom, if appropriate, sometime in 2009/10 after conclusion of the PSB Review."

Once an HDTV multiplex is introduced it is likely that at some point in the future the remaining Multiplex will switch over to MPEG-4 and DVB-T2 as these technologies would enable up to 4 HDTV or perhaps more importantly 20 standard definition channels, over double the current capacity, which will result in a significant increase in viewer choice.

MPEG-4 and DVB-T2 are incompatable with current Freeview set top boxes.

The Future of DTT Statement
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/dttfuture/
statement/

Digital Television: Enabling New Services - Facilitating efficiency on DTT http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/dttfuture/
statement/statement.pdf

Separately, Ofcom has published a joint statement with the BBC Trust on the process to upgrade DTT. The news release can be found here: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/media/news/2008/04/
nr_20080403c