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 - and the latest figures from ComReg indicate that 55% of TV households have digital TV on at least 1 TV set. 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) – which will be made available in Ireland in 2008/ 2009. 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 RTE, TV3 and TG4 and their replacement by a digital terrestrial network.

Providing for National DTT

In April 2007, legislation to provide for the development of public DTT services in Ireland was enacted under The Broadcasting (Amendment) Act, 2007. Under this legislation RTE, the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) and the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) are responsible for the development of DTT in Ireland. RTE 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 RTE channels, TG4 and TV3. The (BCI) 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 RTE and the BCI.

RTE'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 RTE DTT rollout is available from RTE. Further information on the BCI commercial services contract award process is available from the BCI.

Further information on digital television and digital terrestrial television is available on the website http://www.digitaltelevision.ie/

Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, 29-31 Adelaide Road, Dublin 2, Ireland
Tel +353-1-6782000 Fax +353-1-6782449