Russia now expects to undertake the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting gradually between 2014-17. At the same time, it may postpone the transition from DVB-T to DVB-T2.
The news was given by Viktor Pinchuk, the deputy DG of the Russian Television and Radio Broadcasting Network (RTRS), in a statement published on the company’s website.
In the statement, Pinchuk said that simulcasting over a long period was impractical and that the first multiplex would include Russian Public TV from January 1, 2013 and a regional channel from the middle of next year.
A tender for the second multiplex will meanwhile be held by the middle of this December, with the winners of being known by the end of the year.
The second multiplex, once up and running, will carry 10 channels.
Pinchuk also said that low-cost DTT set-top boxes would gradually become more widely available.
Commenting on DVB-T2, he added that although the RTRS would like to launch the second multiplex using the standard, it would ask the Ministry of Communications for “an adjustment of the original plan” for the transition from DVB-T to DVB-T2.
Although there would be a slight delay in the transition, he could not provide exact dates.
The future of regional channels in question
Meanwhile, concerns are growing in Russia over the future of regional channels once the country completes its transition to digital broadcasting.
Kommersant reported earlier this month that last week 55 such channels sent an open letter to Nikolay Nikiforov, the Minister of Communications, appealing to him for the creation of additional multiplexes to carry their services.
In their view, the federal programme for digitisation, adopted back in 2009, threatens the existence of such services.
Based on combined reports from Broadband TV News
