Ofcom makes proposals for TV digital switchover

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The UK Office of Communications said greater certainty should be given over the timing of the switchover from analogue to digital television broadcasting.

The announcement of a timetable would significantly extend digital penetration in the UK and help the switchover to be achieved between 2007 and the end of 2010, Ofcom said in its first report on progress towards digital switchover.

The UK media and telecoms regulator said broadcasters will need to have clear incentives to achieve switchover and that is will consider imposing spectrum pricing to increase those incentives.
If spectrum pricing is introduced, charges could apply for the first time to the BBC, Channel 4 and S4C in 2006. Channel 3 licensees and Five already pay for their licences to broadcast, which include an implicit charge for spectrum.