STB subsidy reduced
Lithuanian govt cuts subsidies for DTT set-top boxes
The Lithuanian Ministry of Finance has decided to reduce the funding available to subsidise the purchases of terrestrial digital-TV set-top boxes by poor citizens from LTL 32 million (€9.27 mill)to LTL 10 million (€2.9 mill) in 2012, reports Verslo Zinios.
Source: Telecompaper
Item added: 5th December 2011
TEO announces 147,000 pay TV subscribers
According to the earnings report published by the incumbent telecom operator TEO, over the last 12 months the number of the Company's television service users had increased by almost 20.9% and at the end of September to 147,100.
This includes subscribers to its pay-DTT service.
Source: TEO press release
Item added: 24th October 2011
Telecentras expands DVB-T network
Lithuanian operator Telecentras has doubled the capacity of its terrestrial DVB-T DTT transmitters in Vilnius and Druskininkai. The operator also intends to launch new transmitters in Salcininkai, Sveksna and in other locations.
The Telecentras terrestrial digital TV re-transmission network currently covers over 90% of the country. ASO in Lithuania is planned for October 2012.
Source: Telecompaper
Item added: 17th October 2011
ASO 29th October 2012
According to quotes attributed to Rimvydas Vastakas, the vice minister of Lithuania’s ministry of transport and communications, analogue switch off (ASO) is expected to be completed by the 29th October 2012. He has also called for subsidised set-top boxes to be made available to the less able members of society, as well as a holding company to inform people of the changes. After ASO Lithuanian viewers will be able to watch at least 12 DTT channels
TEO LT is already operating a pay TV service called Gala TV, offering 40 channels to its 67,000+ DTT subscribers.
Main source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 26th September 2011
DTT in 22.2% of households
According to market research firm TNS multi-channel TV was being received in 69.4% of Lithuanian TV households at the end of the first half of 2011.
Digital Terrestrial TV was the fastest growing segment and had reached 22.2% of TV households by that time. During the same period the proportion of households with digital TV either by satellite, cable, IPTV or terrestrial reached 36.3%.
Cable TV is still the most used delivery platform in Lithuania with a penetration of 44.4%.
Source: digitaltvnews.net
Item added: 19th September 2011
Gala TV subscribers reach 142,500
TEO GALA TV has announced that it now has 142,500 subscribers to its DTT and IPTV services, up 24.9% in the past year..
The number of broadband internet users (excluding Wi-Fi) rose by 7.7% to 325,600 during the same period.
According to data produced by the country’s Communications Regulatory Authority, TEO LT’s share of the digital TV revenues in Q1 amounted to 43.6%.
Source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 24th July 2011
Telecentras expands DTT distribution infrastructure
Net Insight, a developer of efficient and scalable transport solutions for media, IP and broadcast networks, has received an expansion order for the Digital Terrestrial TV (DTT) network from Lithuanian Radio and Television Centre (Telecentras).
Telecentras selected Net Insight’s Nimbra platform for its DTT network in 2006. In 2007 they expanded the network to transport TV signals from national broadcasters, via optical fiber and radio links to the transmitter sites located across the country.
The new order covers further expansion of the DTT network utilising advanced core infrastructure and delivering various types of services to the customers. The order includes IP/Ethernet Trunk Modules for enhanced multiservice operation and Nimbra Vision, a complete tool for efficient operation and management of the Nimbra network.
Lithuanian Radio and Television Centre (Telecentras) is a nationwide Lithuanian telecommunication company owning two major radio and TV broadcasting networks for terrestrial analogue and digital broadcasting (DVB-T) as well as 4G mobile WIMAX.
Source: Net Insight
Item added: 16th May 2011
Gala TV subscribers reach 67,000
TEO’s GALA TV now has 67,000 subscribers and offers over 40 television programme services.
TEO also announced that it has made the Russian-language service NTV Mir available on its GALA TV platform.
NTV Mir replaces RTR Planeta. It offers news, investigative journalism, cartoons, and popular Russian films and documentaries.
A total of 17 television programme services are available in the Russian language.
Source: TEO website
Item added: 4th April 2011
GALA TV coverage extended
Digital GALA TV is now available in almost the entire country reports Broadband TV.
This follows the installation of two additional transmitters, bringing the total number in operation to 30.
GALA TV ended Q3 2010 with over 58,000 subscribers, while Interactive GALA TV, its sister IPTV operation, had over 63,000.
Source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 12th January 2011
HD DTT channels now available in Kaunas
TEO LT has begun rebroadcasting three HD channels in the Kaunas region of the country.
The channels, Eurosport HD, Discovery HD Showcase and National Geographic HD have been available in the Vilnius area since October 2009. The latest DVB-T HD service is expected to be receivable within a 50km radius, centred on Kaunas.
Main source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 20th December 2010
Digital subscribers rise for TEO LT
TEO LT the Lithuanian telco ended Q3 2010 with 121,600 subscribers to its GALA-branded IPTV and DTT services, up more than 33% on the same time last year. During the same period its broadband subscriber total rose by 9% to 334,800 and the company also had 696,400 fixed telephone lines.
Source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 25th October 2010
DTV subscribers up 3.5% in Q2
According to preliminary data from the Lithuanian Communications Regulatory Authority (Ryšiu reguliavimo tarnyba – RRT), the number of digital pay TV subscribers in the country increased 3.5 percent in the second quarter of 2010 to reach 245.9 thousand.
The split by transmission scheme was 54 thousand by digital terrestrial (DTT), 52.8 thousand via cable and MMDS, 62.7 thousand via IPTV, and 76.4 thousand by satellite.
Digital television subscriptions are 8.4 percent up since the beginning of the year.
Source: digitaltvnews.net
Item added: 31st August 2010
DVB-T customers up 41.8% year on year
Subscribers to Digital TV from the Lithuanian telco TEO LT reached 114,100 at the end of the first 6 months of 2010 according to its recent 6 monthly interim financial statement.
DVB-T subscribers were 53,687, up 41.8% since June 2009 and IPTV subscribers reached 60,410, up 26.1% during the same period.
The full report can be accessed by following the source link.
Source: TEO LT June 2010 financial reports
Item added: 26th July 2010
DTT viewers up 8%
The Lithuanian Communications Regulatory Authority, Ryšiu Reguliavimo Tarnyba (RRT), has announced preliminary first quarter (Q1) 2010 electronic communications market data.
The number of digital pay-TV subscribers continued to grow, up 5 percent in the quarter to 237.7 thousand, 50.2 thousand of which subscribe via multichannel cable and microwave television networks, 60.3 thousand use IP technology (IPTV), 50.6 thousand receive digital terrestrial (DVB-T) services and 76.5 thousand via satellite TV.
The DTT figure of 50.6 thousand is an increase of more than 8% from Q4 2009.
Source: Broadcasting Sector Reports
Item added: 24th May 2010
TEO claims 50,337 Pay DTT subscribers
TEO LT AB (Vilnius:TEO1L), the largest provider of integrated telecommunication, IT and TV services in Lithuania, has released its results for the first quarter of 2010 and sets its DTT viewer base at 50,337. Although TEO also has over 58,000 IPTV customers, the recently released figures show that DTT viewer numbers are increasing at a much faster rate than those for the IPTV services.
According to the CRA Report, at the end of 2009 TEO market share of the digital television service market in terms of customers amounted to 45.1 per cent and in terms of revenue – 35.9 per cent. TEO’s market share of the total pay-TV services market in terms of customers was 17.1 per cent.
Source: Telecompaper
Item added: 30th April 2010
Year end DTT subs 46,000 for TEO
Lithuania’s TEO LT ended 2009 with over 100,000 subscribers to its digital TV services, 46,000 of which watch via the DTT platform.
DTT services from Digital GALA saw a 13.5% rise
According to Broadband TV News, figures published by VZ, the IPTV service Interactive GALA saw its subscriber base grow by around 9% in Q4 to reach nearly 56,000.
TeliaSonera backed TEO LT is one of the leading providers of digital TV services in Lithuania.
Source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 18th January 2010
TEO adds nearly 26,000 Pay DTT subscribers
TEO announced in its recent financial results that the number of DVB-T subscribers had grown by 25,786 during the first nine months of 2009 and now stands at 40,478.
Source: TEO Financial Statement
Item added: 19th October 2009
HD channels added to Gala DTT service
TEO is adding HD channels to its Digital Gala DTT service. The new HD channels are Eurosport HD, Discovery HD and National Geographic Channel HD. All will , initially be available in a 50km area around Vilnius. To receive the service a new HD receiver will be necessary. The units on offer are also fitted with a 160 GB hard drive recorder and have PVR capability.
Source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 12th October 2009
Digital GALA viewers reach 37,900
Pay-DTT service provider TEO has just issued its six monthly figures for 2009.
At the end of the period 11,500 new viewers had subscribed to its Digital GALA DTT service bringing the total to 37,900.
During the same period its IPTV subscriber base increased to 47,900.
The Pay-DTT platform is coded using MPEG-4 (H.264, AVC) and reaches 95% of the population according to earlier figures.
ASO is planned for completion by 2012.
Main source: TEO press release
Item added: 24th July 2009
Pay DTT subscribers grow 29.8%
TEO’s Pay DTT subscribers increased by 7,800 from January to March 2009 an increase of 29.8%. This brings the total number of Digital GALA subscribers to 34,000.
During the same period the parallel IPTV service called Interactive GALA increased subscribers by 4,900 an increase of 12.1%.
The DTT platform launched in March 2008 reaches 95% of the population according to earlier TEO press releases.
Source: TEO financial results
Item added: 27th April 2009
Over 500 channels available on DTT platforms in Europe
Recent data from the MAVISE TV database, developed for the DG Communication of the European Commission by the European Audiovisual Observatory, shows the continued expansion of television channels in the European (EU 27 + Croatia and Turkey) television market. More than 200 new TV channels were launched in 2008. There are now a total of 5587 channels (plus 412 non-European channels) available in the 29 countries.
Digital terrestrial television (DTT) has experienced significant developments in the last year.
Six of the 29 countries included in the MAVISE database have already ceased analogue terrestrial transmission.
France, Italy, Spain and the UK (four markets with large use of terrestrial television) have reached very high levels of DTT penetration in households and two of these have started regional switch-off of the analogue signals
The market will see more rapid development this year with the expected launch of new services in Slovenia, Denmark, Portugal, Ireland, Poland, Greece, and Slovakia. Full article at: EAO press release
Item added: 7th April 2009
DTT subscribers reach 26,000
The digital terrestrial television service Digital GALA which was introduced to customers in March 2008 had 26,327 customers at the end of 2008 and is now available almost all over the country and offers up to 40 TV channels in Lithuanian, English, Russian and other languages.
The figures published show that the number of subscribers increased by 11,600 in the fourth quarter of 2008.
Source: TEO financial results
Item added: 16th February 2009
Lithuanian DTT goes national
GALA TV is now available almost nationally according to Broadband TV News. The increase in coverage follows the activation of five new transmitters sites bring the total to twenty with another seven to be added later. The service offers viewers over 40 channels, 13 of which are Lithuanian.
Source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 12th January 2009
More ASO information needed
A recent survey carried out on behalf of network operator TEO has shown that only 19% of those contacted claim to have sufficient information about the future analogue switch off.
At present only Pay-DTT services are available in Lithuania, provided by TEO.
Started in March the service now has 14,700 subscribers.
Government plans are that the analogue switch off will be completed by the 29th October 2012.
More details of the poll results can be read by clicking on the following TEO link.
Source: TEO
Item added: 17th November 2008
TEO LT adds NBA TV
The Lithuanian Telco TEO LT has added the US sports channel NBA TV to its digital offering. Basketball is said to be very popular in Lithuania and NBA TV will be offered on both the Interactive Gala IPTV service (32,000 subs.) and the Digital Gala DTT platform (14,000 subs.)
Source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 13th October 2008
TEO expands Digital GALA network
Digital GALA’s coverage has been extended by TEO from 75% to 95% of the population following the launch of transmitters serving Biržai, Druskininkai, Mažeikiai, Rokiškis, Tauragė, Telšiai, Ukmergė and Utena, the biggest cities in Lithuania.
By the end of the year coverage will be extended to cover most of the population.
Digital GALA TV, offers viewers 40 television programme services for a monthly cost of 29 litas (€8) per month.
Source: TEO press release
Item added: 8th July 2008
Hold up for the Lithuanian DTT platform
According to Broadband TV news the Lithuanian MMDS operator Mikrovisatos TV has cancelled an agreement with TEO LT, signed last December. The agreement would have seen the company acquired by the Telco but it failed to secure permission from the Competition council.
TEO LT, which began DTT transmissions in Vilnius last July was hoping to make use of a licence that allows Mikrovisatos TV to rebroadcast 24 TV channels over DVB-T networks in Lithuania.
Source: Broadband TV news
Item added: 20th February 2007
Limited DTT service in Lithuania
Lithuania’s telecom provider TEO LT has launched a DTT service in Vilnius according to an item on the Broadband TV News website.
The new platform uses MPEG-4 and provides access to three commercial programme services at present and these services are likely to cover 95% of the country by 2009.
TEO LT owned by TeliaSonera was granted licenses to operate four multiplexes in Vilnius, during October 2005 by the Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA).
In October RTK also awarded broadcasting licences on the DTT platform to Baltijos TV, Tele-3 and TV1 as well as the public services broadcaster.
Source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 17th July 2006
DTT subscription service licence awarded
Broadband TV news reports that a DTT licence has been awarded to Lithuanian MMDS operator UAB Mikrovisatos TV. The company , based in Kaunas, is expected to launch a 24 channel subscription service in Vilnius in six months time and gradually extend it to the rest of the country.
Source: Broadband TV News Central and East Europe Feb 24th 2006
Item added: 27th February 2006
Lithuania awards Digital Terrestrial TV Licences
The recent competition for DTV (DVB-T) licences attracted four participants.
On the 27th June 2005, two winners where announced.
One licence to create two national SFN networks was granted to the Lithuanian Radio and TV Centre and the second for two further SFN’s was awarded to Lithuanian telecom.
According to a government document "Resolution on Adoption of the Model of Switchover to Digital television in Lithuania"
dated 25th November 2004, DTT will be developed both in Band III and Bands IV & V.
No Less than 5 unencrypted (free of charge) programmes must be broadcast through all DTT networks, including 2 programmes of the public institution Lithuanian national Radio and Television.
The expansion of the TV networks will be done in stages starting in the biggest cities.
By the 30th June DTT transmitters capable of 20 TV programmes should be installed in Vilnius and then in five of the biggest cities with a capability of 16 programmes by the end of 2007.
At the beginning of 2009 at least one DTV network is intended to cover 95% of the population.
Switchover to a complete digital service must begin in 2012 on a regional basis but a final date for completion has not been announced.
Read More:Resolution
Item added: 4th July 2005
Background
DTT update April 2005
DVB-T pilot transmissions in Vilnius started during 2003 and ended in 2004. Subsequently, in late 2004, commercial broadcasting began using the same transmitter.
As of April 2005 it is reported that a total of 5 programmes are being broadcast, 2 are free to air and the remaining 3 are coded by the Conax system.
In the near future a tender for licenses will be announced and it is expected that two will be issued.
The plan is that by June 2006, 8 DTT programs will be broadcast in Vilnius. This coverage will be extended to Klaipeda, Siauliai, Panevezys and Kaunas by the end of 2007.
Source: Lithuanian radio & TV centre, 29th April 2005
