Advance 90% digital television in Tijuana: Cofetel - The Economist

April 26, 2013 – 18:18

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EE: File

May 28, Tijuana will become the first city in Mexico and Latin America to conclude analog TV transmissions to give way to digital technology, confirmed the Federal Telecommunications Commission (Cofetel).

And that, Unity Broadcasting Systems of Cofetel established that the level of penetration of digital terrestrial television (DTT) in the population that depends on the television in Tijuana exceeds 90 percent .

“Consequently, the condition set out in the Policy penetration DTT has been fully satisfied, so we will proceed to finalize the digital switchover in Tijuana on May 28 this year,” noted the regulatory body.

explained that Tijuana residents enjoy a better quality of picture and audio as well as the possibility of receiving a greater number of channels and new services such as mobile TV, EPG, subtitle and audio in several languages .

also concluded broadcasting analog signals to retrieve 48 Megahertz (MHz) radio spectrum and release the 700 Mhz band in that town for future telecommunications services.

Cofetel

stressed that the mechanism implemented in the pilot is also the first of its kind in the world , so that the resulting possibility success required not only intense work involved in its execution, but also the support of the Ministry of Communications and Transportation (SCT), state and local authorities.

In this process, he added, involved 216 antenna installers and decoders who traveled on foot streets, canyons and hills as well as the staff of the commission in charge of directing and supervising.

“Regardless of one’s efforts that the commission held, Cofetel calls on all media and local and state authorities to jointly accompanying social media effort in order to alert the population of that city on analog broadcasts end on 28 May, “he said.

Recall that the December 11, 2012 to March 12 last, Cofetel launched a pilot program to install free Tijuana decoders and / or antennas on low-income households that rely solely on the open signals for receive television service.

This, in order to increase the penetration of digital TV service and make the first “digital switchover” in the country, ie fully conclude analog signal transmission on broadcast television.

To conclude analog transmissions requires that at least 90% of households has the ability to receive digital signals on their televisions.

According

Survey Open Television Penetration in Households (ENPETAH), the percentage of households playable DTT signals and signal dependent on broadcast television in April 2012 was as only 3.4 percent.

With the information available at that time, was screened a universe of between 179,000 and 200,000 homes that were installed that allowed computers to capture digital signals of broadcast television.

March 19 this year, Teletec of Mexico, a company hired to implement the program in Tijuana, Cofetel gave the documentary information that accounts for the results of this process, which consists of the total of covered signed by the person who received the service (visit and / or installation).

According to the information reviewed and validated by Cofetel, the number of households whose service depends on network television where installed a decoder and / or digital antenna is 192.060 .

visits Regarding non-target households, ie those who are poor or have the pay television service, 62,260 visits were made effective.

Given the importance of this program and its social impact, Cofetel hired Ipsos Bimsa to monitor the services provided by Teletec, to ensure the commitment of this company in the invitation to tender.

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