What is Digital Television?
TV is presently undergoing a transition from analogue broadcasting to digital broadcasting. This is probably the biggest change in TV since the transition from black and white television to colour. Modern computers are digital devices which process information in the form of data elements and digital broadcasting is essentially the broadcasting of TV or radio programme content as a stream of data. The ability to transmit TV content in the form of data instead of pictures and sound means that more information can be transmitted over a digital network than an analogue network. As a result a digital broadcasting network can be used to provide more versatile services such as more TV channels, radio channels, digital quality pictures and sound, high definition pictures, enhanced teletext, electronic programme guides and even interactive services.
Digital television is commonly available in Ireland over commercial re-broadcasting services - cable, MMDS or satellite. Other technologies such as Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) are also starting to emerge.
Currently, in Ireland, the Irish TV channels – RTÉ 1, RTÉ 2, TV3 and TG4 are transmitted on a free-to-air basis, over an analogue network operated by RTÉ Transmissions Network Limited (RTÉ NL). This analogue network is becoming obsolete and will be replaced by a new digital television platform –Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) in the next few years. The development of a national DTT network will allow these channels to be provided over a digital network.
DTT will play an important part in ensuring the future of broadcasting in Ireland, as it is the only digital platform offering continued availability of free-to-air (FTA) TV services to the population of Ireland under Irish regulation. Both satellite and cable services are subscription based. Additionally satellite is not regulated in Ireland so services cannot be guaranteed and cable does not provide universal coverage.
2012 is the deadline which has been set by the European Union for switching off analogue terrestrial TV public service networks throughout Europe and Ireland has signed up to this date.
2012 is expected to see the switch off of the current analogue network used by RTÉ, TV3 and TG4 and their replacement by a digital terrestrial network.
Providing for National DTT
The Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Eamon Ryan T.D. has signed an Order under the Broadcasting Act, 2009, requiring RTÉ to ensure that their free to air digital television (DTT) service is operational and available to 90% of the population by 31st October 2010.
This order, Statutory Instrument 85 of 2010, the RTÉ (National Television Multiplex) Order 2010, is available at the following link.
In April 2007, legislation to provide for the development of public DTT services in Ireland was enacted under The Broadcasting (Amendment) Act, 2007. This legislation has been replaced by the Broadcasting Act 2009. Under this legislation RTÉ, the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) and the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) are responsible for the development of DTT in Ireland. RTÉ is required to replace their obsolete analogue terrestrial platform with a new DTT platform with the same coverage as the current analogue network and which can accommodate the RTÉ channels, TG4 and TV3. The BAI is responsible for ensuring that Ireland gains maximum benefit from DTT, by offering commercial DTT contracts to interested parties. ComReg is responsible for frequency planning for DTT and for issuing frequency licences to both RTÉ and the BAI.
RTÉ's DTT network will provide near universal coverage of free-to-air digital television services throughout the country. The existence of such a network will be important in ensuring the continued availability of quality Irish programming.
In making the transition from analogue to Digital Terrestrial TV, Ireland will be able to provide capacity for additional TV channels as well as data and interactive services. Digital terrestrial TV (DTT) can provide more services than analogue terrestrial TV (6-8 time more TV channels) and can also provide advanced broadcasting services such as electronic programme guides, interactive services, digital teletext and High Definition TV. In addition, digital terrestrial broadcasting uses less spectrum or radio frequencies than analogue broadcasting so a move from analogue to digital TV frees up radio spectrum for other uses.
Further information on the RTÉ DTT rollout is available from RTÉ and RTÉNL. Further information on the BAI commercial services contract award process is available from the BAI.
Further information on digital television and digital terrestrial television is available on the website http://www.digitaltelevision.ie/
Memorandum of Understanding
Memorandum of Understanding between the Irish and UK Government on Digital Television