The Digital Switchover Challenges and Lessons Learned

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The Digital Switch-overChallenges and Lessons
Learned

• ITU Sub-Regional Seminar and Ministerial Round
  Table on Switchover from Analogue to Digital
  Terrestrial Television Broadcasting in Central
  and Eastern Europe
• National Assembly House in Belgrade, Serbia
• 27-29 April 2009

Darko Ratkaj Senior Engineer EBU Technical
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Agenda

• Digital switchover - why are we doing it?
• Transition from analogue to digital terrestrial
  television
• DTT Strategy
• Implementation
• Approaches to digital switchover
• Pre-conditions for analogue switch-off (ASO)
• Main challenges
• Key success factors

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Digital Switchover - why are we doing this?

• Digital television offers new possibilities to
  the viewers and broadcasters
• Improved technical quality of picture and sound
• Additional programmes
• Additional reception modes (portable and mobile)
• New types of services (EPG, multi-channel, 169,
  HDTV, interactivity, ...)
• Favorable conditions for future evolution
• Cost optimization

• For regulators
• Competition - terrestrial platform must remain
  competitive with cable, satellite and future
  broadband
• Regulatory certainty stimulates investments in
  the new networks
• GE06 Plan (as from 2015 no protection of analogue
  TV)
• Spectrum efficiency gt Digital Dividend

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Transition from Analogue to Digital DTT Strategy

• Which services (SDTV, HDTV, Free-to-air, PayTV,
  mobile TV) and how many?
• coverage target for national, regional, local
  services
• reception mode (roof-top fix, mobile outdoor,
  portable indoor)
• technical parameters (transmission system, MPEG2
  or MPEG4, SFN or MFN,MUX capacity, receiver
  requirements)

• Which approach to Analog-to-Digital
  transition?(simulcast or overnight switchover
  nation-wide or phased area-by-area)

• Legislation
• licensing conditions (coverage and service
  requirements)
• spectrum access conditions
• MUX operation content aggregation non-broadcast
  services
• competition rules
• international situation

Key decisions have to be madeat the highest
level in the country (government).

• Social and economic evaluation (costs, benefits,
  funding, ...)

Consult the relevant players and the public!

• Implementation plan
• time schedule milestones management
  coordination funding

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Transition from Analogue to Digital -
Implementation

• Spectrum planning
• GE-06 Plan provides a framework for detailed
  national planning
• International co-ordination may be required
• Time schedule of the ASO in the neighboring
  countries may be critical
• National legislation may need to be revised
• Digital Licenses to be awarded Analogue ones may
  need to be modified
• Deployment of transmission networks (may be
  limited by the existing analogue services) start
  of the simulcast period
• Decision on the ASO date
• Information campaign to prepare the public
• Verify that all necessary conditions for ASO are
  met
• Analogue Switch-off the and full deploy digital
  services

Designate a single entity with the necessary
implementing power to manage the transition!
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Approaches to Analogue switch-off

• Gradual ASO during the simulcast period
• analogue transmissions are gradually taken
  off-air while digital TV services are
  progressively introduced
• soft transition

• Overnight ASO
• all analogue services are switched off at once
• nation-wide or area-by area
• requires very good preparations
• higher risk that something may go wrong

• Phased approach
• ASO area by area
• Austria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy,
  Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom

• Nation-wide overnight ASO
• Andorra, Finland, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, USA

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Pre-requisites of Analogue Switch-Off

• DTT networks on-air or ready to be launched
• coverage, reception conditions met
• ready to quickly resolve any remaining coverage
  problems
• attractive services to motivate viewers adoption
  of DTT

• Sufficiently high penetration of digital
  receivers
• government funding may be required
• ample supply of receivers in the shops (demand
  increases in the final months / weeks / days
  before ASO)

• Viewers must be well informed and prepared for
  the ASO
• ASO date announced on time
• the right choice of the date
• information call centers in place
• technical support provided to the viewers

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Main challenges of the Digital Switchover

• Technical challenges size of the conversion
  task
• Analogue equipment (transmitters) to be replaced
  with digital
• New networks may be required
• New frequency plan
• new frequencies for many transmitters (may
  require new antennas)
• may result in changes of coverage
• Simulcast
• spectrum is shared with analogue television
• analogue services must be protected during the
  transition
• Cross-border issues different time schedules in
  different countries

• Market related challenges
• Viewers have to buy new receivers (or STBs), to
  adapt receive antennas
• Difficulties for elder and less wealthy segments
  of population

Big Investment !
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Different strategies of DTT launch
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Analogue Switch-Off (ASO) Dates
Nordic / Cable
Terrestrial
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Key factors for success (1) Viewers must be
prepared

• Communication is key viewers must understand
  what will happen,when and how to prepare

• Education and technical support, where needed

• Financial support may be necessary subsidizing
  digital receivers and antennae modifications

• Mandating digital tuners policy tool used in
  France and USA. Planned in Italy.

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Key factors for success (2) Information campaign

• Who?
• - VIEWERS it should support viewers during the
  whole process
• - Professionals (manufactures, retailers,
  installers)
• gt equipment should be available on time and at
  right cost
• - Press/media (avoid bad press)
• How?
• - Simple to address different type of population
• - Not too long, otherwise people may lose
  interest
• - Good indication of time schedule
• - Create attractive logos and slogans
• Where?
• - Everywhere web, TV, newspapers, shops,
  streets and public places, brochures/letters,
  pubic transport, ...
• Create call centers to answer consumers questions
  and guide them.

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Key factors for success (3) Legislative framework

• Early involvement of the Government and
  regulators is essential to
• Put in place the necessary legislative framework
• Define the digital switchover strategy including
  ASO time schedule
• Define requirements for DTT coverage and
  reception conditions
• Issue DTT licenses for free-to-air and pay-TV
  services
• Provide funding, if needed, to ensure sufficient
  financial structure
• Ensure that adequate digital receivers are
  available on the market at a reasonable price
• Mandate digital tuners as from a certain date, if
  required
• Facilitate spectrum planning coordination with
  neighboring countries
• Create a Forum in charge of the switchover
  process, if it does not happen naturally
• Because... COOPERATION is essential
  as well

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Key factors for success (4) Well prepared ASO

• Strategy overnight or by area short process or
  long process
• Good timing avoid summer (holiday periods) and
  winter (more difficult to upgrade external
  equipment), weekends and coincidence with major
  events (political, sports or others)
• Identify the best area where the process should
  begin
• areas with high penetration of digital receivers
  and where any community antennas have already
  been adapted
• areas where the DTT coverage is as good as
  analogue
• Identify the best channels where the process
  should begin
• Carry out pilot experiments to gain experience
  prior to ASO gather and analyze reactions of the
  viewers investigate technical and market related
  issues
• ASO means that ALL analogue services are switched
  off in a given area(otherwise it may cause
  confusion)

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Key factors for success (5) Quality of the
digital offer

• The service offer must be attractive
• At least 20-25 programmes including simulcast of
  analogue (continuity of services is essential)
  plus new digital services
• Free-to-air services can be the core of the offer
  but pay-tv services may alsobe included they
  create new business in the terrestrial
  distribution platform
• The service offer must be of high technical
  quality
• DTT parameters (modulation scheme, FEC rate,
  guard interval, etc.) must be adapted to the
  selected reception conditions
• The data capacity per programme in the MUX should
  be large enough to ensure better image quality
  than analogue
• The coverage should at least match the analogue
  one gap fillers if needed
• Good digital receivers that fulfill reception
  specifications
• Avoid many changes (in frequencies, in
  parameters, etc.)
• Minimize simulcast (expensive and frequency
  demanding)

Viewers must not be disappointed!
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Key factors for success (6) Cooperation

• It is essential to ensure cooperation of all
  involved parties
• Public Service Broadcasters
• Private and commercial broadcasters
• Cable and satellite platforms
• Manufacturers of professional and consumer
  equipment
• Retailers and installers
• Governments and regulators
• Create a Forum in charge of the switchover process

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DTT penetration vs. coverage

• In many countries in Europe there is lack of
  frequencies

Difficult to improve coverage before ASO
Difficult to increase DTT penetration
Difficult to switch off analogue!

• Experience has shown that DTT penetration
  increases very rapidly during the final months
  prior to ASO

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Preparations for ASO in USA

• National ASO on 12 June 2009 to be done overnight
• 15 terrestrial penetration 17 million viewers!
• Today around 6 million viewers unprepared!
  Mainly low-income and ethnic minorities
• Coupon programme - 1.5 billion of Government
  funding to ease the transition
• 2 x 40 per household on a first-come
  first-served basis
• Not sufficient for last minute demand
• People that needed help most did not obtain
  coupons
• ASO trial in Wilmington
• Coverage problems reception not as good as
  analogue
• Viewers lack technical competence
• How to install digital receivers and scan for new
  digital services
• Fixed roof-top antennas needed to be re-pointed,
  modified or replaced
• No single entity responsible for planning and
  coordinating the switchover.

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The switchover process is complex but feasible

• Effective communication campaign
• Cooperation and coordinated efforts of the whole
  broadcast industry
• Government and regulators support and involvement
• Strong leadership
• DTT receivers available on the market on time at
  a reasonable price
• Adequate financial resources available
• ... contribute to a successful Analogue Switch off

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Thank you for your attention !
For more information visit

at www.digitag.org
Darko Ratkaj ratkaj_at_ebu.ch