New year, new life, and with the change of frequencies of digital terrestrial television (TDT), new channels. On July 24 of the recently completed 2019, the first lighting began in the Balearic Islands, Cáceres or Huelva, and from November 14, in the rest of Spain. And in De Salas, we want to tell our clients and friends what it is and who it affects
La TDT changes frequency “due to the release of the Second Digital Dividend, which will allow the upcoming deployment of ultrafast 5G networks in the 700 MHz band,” as announced by the Ministry of Economy and Business. This means that you have to adapt the antenna installations and retune the channels, according to a calendar and type of home.
This is because three years ago, in 2017, the European Parliament decided that the 700 MHz band should be available by June 30, 2020 to “ensure a coordinated approach to the use of these frequencies in the community territory.” And since Spain is where the TDT, you have to release it.
This actually does not represent any change, since we can continue to have all our channels as always, the only thing is that they will have to be retuned according to the new band where they are installed. Of course, not all homes are required to do so.
According to Secretary of State for Digital Advancement, this retuning of DTT will affect “about 850.000 buildings and 21 million inhabitants, with Asturias, Barcelona, A Coruña, Menorca, Melilla and part of Toledo and Murcia being exempt.” But of course, the first thing is to inform yourself, and the Ministry puts at our disposal its specific digital television website, the telephone 901 20 10 04 and the toll-free number 954 30 65 01.
We anticipate that single-family homes and smaller community buildings do not have to do so. And medium or large-sized community buildings that are equipped with single-channel systems or programmable switchboards must do so.
For example, in Madrid we are talking about 112.555 buildings, where more than 6 million people live, and it will be done depending on the type of infrastructure previously installed. To do this, you must contact a registered telecommunications installer, who in these cases will be the property manager or the president of the community of owners, and as long as they are in the Registry of Telecommunications Installation Companies of the Secretary of State for Digital Advancement (SEAD).
As this may take some time, the television networks will broadcast simultaneously through the new and old frequencies, before proceeding to turn off the latter, during the first half of 2020, that is, we have six months to retune.
And it is worth knowing that, since September 26, 2019, neighborhood communities can request public aid for the restoration of the TDT, which will be used to offset the cost of this Second Digital Dividend, with amounts ranging from 104,3 euros to 677 euros per building.
So, welcome to the new era of retuning, although we cannot talk about a new decade, we can talk about new channels to watch television. As we like to say in De Salas, Work in progress.
Gala Mora
DESALAS Lifestyle
