Although there has been talk in recent days about the possibility of a new channel for DTT, the Spanish Government denies that an auction will be held with the idea of launching a new channel for free-to-air television. Therefore, regular viewers of Digital Terrestrial Television would be left, for the time being, without the possibility of receiving another channel. However, a series of changes are being negotiated that would force users to retune their televisions.
The idea of holding an auction to obtain one more channel on free-to-air television in our country is denied by the Government itself. However, various conversations are being held with the different representatives of the main television groups in Spain with the aim of modifying the National Technical Plan for Digital Terrestrial Television, which was approved in Royal Decree 391/2019, of June 21.
No channel for DTT
The Government is ruling out the possibility of launching a new channel for DTT. Although this idea has been considered in recent days, the various conversations that have taken place between the Ministry for Digital Transition and Public Service and the large television groups in our country are not exactly for this. They are only technical meetings with which they intend to reach an agreement to apply a new technology to Digital Terrestrial Television.
Therefore, despite the talk of the Prisa Group’s commitment to launching a new channel, this idea will have to wait. At least for a while. Everything will depend on the new approach for the National Technical Plan for Digital Terrestrial Television. So it remains to be seen what will ultimately happen.
Jump from DVB-T to DVB-T2
Talks between the ministry and television groups in Spain are aimed at modifying the National Technical Plan for Digital Terrestrial Television. What is the objective? To make more channels available in UHD quality, or in other words, in Ultra High Definition.
The technical change they are talking about will involve migrating part of the use of radio spectrum in a first phase from DVB-T to DVB-T2. Even though it was believed at the time that the standard for DTT was going to be changed and, therefore, this leap was going to be made at a technical level in free-to-air television in our country, this was not the case. HD DTT channels are provided under the DVB-T standard. However, this could change by the end of 2024 or beginning of 2025.
If this jump to DVB-T2 is made, then RTVE, Mediaset, Atresmedia and Radio Blanca will have to change one of their multiplex channels. In that case, viewers would not have as many problems as with the change to HD quality, but it is true that it will be necessary to retune the televisions when this technical change takes place. In addition, it must be taken into account that all these conversations are required according to what is established by the European Union. And all because the aim is to optimise the radio spectrum to have a more efficient service. Therefore, with this change, space would be freed up to improve the quality of the image, for example.
