What Future for DTT Platforms: French Ministry opens a consultation

The Direction générale des médias et des industries culturelles (DGMIC) of the French Ministry of Culture and Communication launched on 2 July 2013 a public consultation on the future of DTT platforms, further to the work currently conducted by the French Government on the allocation of UHF frequencies of the 700 MHz band.

The consultation focuses on:

• changes concerning DTT services within the next 5 and 10 years,

• compression technology standards (MPEG-4),

• launch and development of new video encoding standards (DVB-T2/ HEVC),

• functional and technological developments of TV sets,

• the impact on DTT networks of the release of part of the UHF spectrum

• modes of distribution of television services.

Participants to the consultation must submit their contributions by 25 July 2013.

In order to take into account the decisions that the French Government may take concerning the 700 MHz frequency band, the French regulator CSA decided on 3 July 2013 to postpone its own public consultation on the availability of spectrum for DTT services.

• Consultation: http://www.culturecommunication.gouv.fr/Disciplines-et-secteurs/Audiovisuel/Actualites/Consultation-sur-l-avenir-de-la-plate-forme-TNT  (French only)

Source: Websites of CSA and DGMIC