EBU issues DVB-T2 network planning document
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has published a report on network and frequency planning for the transmission of DVB-T2 terrestrial television services.
The report is designed to compliment information already released in the ETSI system specification (EN 302 755) and implementation guideline (TS 102 831) and the corresponding DVB Blue Books (A122, A133).
Frequency & Network Planning Aspects of DVB-T2 covers receiver and network planning parameters as well as transition scenarios for DVB-T2 under the GE06 Agreement and Frequency plan.
Source: EBU (Frequency and Network Planning aspects of DVB-T2)
Item added: 23rd May 2011
Digital TV in 55% of Swiss households
According to the 2010 New Establishment survey of Switzerland’s TV and radio markets produced by Publica Data AG, at the end of 2010, 55% of Swiss households were equipped with digital TV, up 3% on the previous year.
About three-quarters of Swiss TV households have cable, 17% have satellite and 7% have DVB-T terrestrial reception. IPTV is available in 12% of homes.
Source: Neue Mitarbeiter / New Establishment Survey 2010
Item added: 9th May 2011
Swiss to auction 800 MHz band for mobile
The Swiss federal communications commission ComCom has launched the public tender for mobile frequencies in the 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1.8 GHz, 2.1 GHz and 2.6 GHz ranges. Some frequencies are directly available for use and some are part of the existing GSM and UMTS licences of Swiss mobile operators Swisscom, Sunrise, Orange Switzerland and In&Phone and will become free on 31 December 2013 and 31 December 2016, respectively. The frequencies will be auctioned and interested parties have until 18 March 2011 to apply for the auction that will take place during the first half of 2011.
Of interest to DTT users is the auction of the 6 blocks (2x5 MHz) of the 800 MHz band which are likely to be the top 60MHz of UHF TV Band VI released by the switch to DTT. These become available from the 1st January 2013. The minimum offer for the uses of a single block until the 31st December 2028 is set at CHF 21.3 million.
Source: Telecompaper
Item added: 29th November 2010
Naxoo extends DTT over cable
Naxoo has extended the availability of its DTT over cable offering to a further six communes in Geneva, reports Broadband TV News. The cable net uses DVB-T modulation to relay a package of 38 channels to customers with a suitable tuner in their TV display.
Since the 1st September customers in the Carouge, Lancy, Onex, Meyrin, Pregny-Chambesy and Genthod districts of Geneva have been able to receive the signals which were officially launched in February
24 French language channels are included in the package which is designed to counter the threat of DTT services beaming over the border with France.
The cable offering includes International channels in six languages as well as Eurosport, Euronews, CNN and CNBC.
Source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 6th September 2010
Digital TV progresses in Switzerland
At the end of 2009 around 1.4 million of the 2.9 million Swiss TV households received Digital TV programmes, up from 1.1 million last year.
Analogue and Digital Cable still dominates the market with 2.1 million households using it.
Satellite comes next with 530,000 households followed by IPTV with 200,000.
The number of viewers relying on Terrestrial delivery continues to be small and of these 110,000 use DTT.
Source: Rapid TV News
Item added: 24th May 2010
BAKOM opens DTT platform consultation
The Swiss communications regulator BAKOM has opened a consultation on the capacity needed for TV services on the DTT platform. At present only the Swiss public broadcaster SRG SSR has services on the platform and BAKOM wants to assess the capacity needed by other potential broadcasters for TV services either free to-air or pay TV.
The responses to the consultation will help BAKOM decide whether to assign frequency capacity directly or put its allocation out to public tender.
Proposals must be submitted by the 12th May 2010.
Source: BAKOM website
Item added: 29th March 2010
DTT on Cable network in Geneva
Naxoo a Geneva based cable provider is to transmit DVB-T modulated programs on its cable network and take advantage of the growing number of IDTV’s with inbuilt TV tuners.
Reporting on the “Free DTT service”, Broadband TV news printed the following quote about its introduction, “In line with our goal of simplifying access to multimedia services to everyone, Naxoo is announcing the simulcast of analogue channels in the digital format. To do this we’re relying on the DVB-T technology, better known as TNT,” said Michel Mattacchini, chairman of Naxoo’s board of directors.
The service will offer subscribers 40 channels including an EPG.
Source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 22nd February 2010
DVB-T on cable system
Geneva-based cablenet Naxoo is to join a growing number of operators now using DVB-T to modulate a package of channels through its cable system reports Broadband TV News.
Switzerland only has a limited number of terrestrial channels and the cable operator is worried about competition from DTT signals soon to go live when transmitters in Salève and Gex on the French side of Lake Geneva start transmissions.
The 151,041-subscriber network is considering the launch of the DVB-T package over its cable system next year in a bid to limit losses to its 43,700 digital customers.
A final decision will be made early in 2010. Switzerland’s DTT line-up consists of just four channels, but the French system would add another 20 channels, which would be receivable across the city.
Some of the latest TV displays have an in-built DVB-C tuner, but there are a far greater number of DVB-T receivers already in the market. A similar system has been running on City Cable the Swiss city of Lausanne for the past three years.
France’s Numericable and Dutch cabler CAIW also run DVB-T modulated packages.
Source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 14th December 2009
New DTT service
Swiss German language broadcaster Schweizer Fernsehen (SF) will launch its new channel SF Info on the DTT network from the 12th January 2009.
The channel will be the fifth to be made available on the SRG multiplex in the German speaking part of Switzerland.
Other currently available channels are the German SF1 and SF2, the French language channel TSR1 and the Italian language channel TSI1.
ASO was completed in Switzerland on the 25th February 2008 and 8% of Swiss households are solely dependant on DTT reception.
Source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 22nd December 2008
DVB-H subscribers reach 5,000
During a presentation at Comdays08 in Biel Bienne Switzerland, CEO of Swisscom Broadcasting, Jean-Paul de Weck, said that there were around 5,000 subscribers to the new DVB-H service and that the take-up had been slow.
He said that this had not been helped by the lack of available handsets especially the availability of the Nokia N77.
Since the end of September four new DVB-H handsets are available and this should help drive uptake.
DVB-H services provide deep indoor coverage to 31% of the population and portable outdoor coverage to 45% of the population.
Source: Comdays08 presentation
Item added: 27th October 2008
DVB-H to launch on May 13th 2008
Swisscom has announced that it will launch its new DVB-H services on May 13th in time for the UEFA Euro 2008 football championship.
The service will initially be available to 44% of the Swiss population, located in Basel, Bern, Geneva, Lausanne and Zurich. Viewers will be able to access 20 television programme services for 16 CHF per month or 2 CHF per day.
Swisscom will provide the handsets for DVB-H reception starting with the Nokia N77 followed by the Nokia N96 and the Samsung SGH-P960 later in the year.
Source: Swisscom press release
Item added: 28th April 2008
Analogue Switch Off completed on 25 February 2008
The SRG SSR switch over from analogue to digital television will be completed on the 25th February when analogue services in the regions of Valais and the Chablais Vaudois are finally switched off.
From then on, viewers will only be able to access the four television programme services provided by SRG SSR on the DTT platform.
It is estimated that 8% of households rely on the terrestrial television for their primary television reception in Switzerland but in parts of the Valais, this increases to 29% of households.
Source: SRG SSR press release (via Digitag)
Item added: 19th February 2008
Swisscom to launch DVB-H services in June 2008
Swisscom Broadcasting has confirmed that it will launch DVB-H services in June 2008 in time for the EURO 2008 Football Championship.
The new service is expected to be called MoTV and will offer 20 TV programmes to users in the cities of Basle, Berne, Geneva and Zurich.
Pre-commercial services are likely to begin in February 2008.
Main source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 8th January 2008
Swisscom Broadcast selected to provide DVB-H services
The Swiss broadcast regulator BAKOM has allocated a DVB-H licence to Swisscom Broadcast, one of two companies applying for the licence.
As part of the licence agreement, Swisscom Broadcast will set up a DVB-H network that will be available to all mobile telecom operators, including Swisscom, Orange, and Sunrise.
A further licence requirement is that DVB-H services must be made available to 44% of the population, including coverage in the cities of Basle, Bern, Geneva and Zurich, all by the end of May 2008.
By 2012, 60% of the population must be able to access DVB-H services.
The licence has duration of ten years.
Source: Le Temps
Item added: 2nd October 2007
Swiss mobile TV licence applications submitted
By the closing deadline, Media regulators had received two applications for the mobile TV licence, one from Mobile TV Schweiz and the other from Swisscom Broadcast AG. Both will be evaluated and an award made for the best proposal.
A key requirement for the successful applicant is that the first mobile TV service must be available in the cities of Basel, Berne, Zurich and Geneva in time for the UEFA EURO 2008 finals.
Source: Advanced-television.com
Item added: 8th August 2007
Tenders opened for potential DVB-H service in Switzerland
The Federal Communications Commission (ComCom) has announced that it will award a licence for mobile TV delivery on a criterion based competition.
An initial service must be provided for the European football Championship in the host cities of Berne, Basle, Zurich and Geneva.
The candidates will have until July 27th to submit their applications.Main selection criteria will be based on the planned coverage and rollout, concept and implementation, business and service plan, contribution to media diversity and the coherence and credibility of candidates. Whilst the use of DVB-H is not mandated for the service ComCom has recommended that DVB-H be used.
DVB-H is already being used in Austria, which is a co-host country for the Football championship.
The licence will be for 10 years and the winner will have to provide coverage to 30% of the Swiss population by the end of may 2008 and a t least 50% by the end of 2012.
Main source: BroadbandTVNews
Item added: 12th June 2007
Analogue switch off continues
Analogue switch of in the German speaking part of Switzerland is expected to be completed by the 26th November 2007.
At present most viewers in these regions are able to view four services on the DTT platform, SF1, SF2, TSR1 and TSI1.
Analogue switch off was completed in the Italian speaking regions during July 2006 and switch-off in the French speaking regions is planned for the 25th June2007.
Source: Persoenlich.com and heise on-line
Item added: 19th April 2007
Next step for ASO set for 25 June 2007
Following the Analogue Switch Off (ASO) in two Swiss regionsduring 2006, further areas are set to switch-off in 2007.
By the end of theyear, only one region, Valais (Rhone Valley), will continue to transmitanalogue terrestrial television services.
ASO in the regions of the Jura, Bassin Lémanique and Gros deVaud is set to take place on 25 June 2007 and will be followed by switch-off inthe regions of Northern Switzerland, Berne, Lucerne and Graubunden on 27November 2007.
It is estimated that 8% of the Swiss population rely on the terrestrialplatform.
Source: Broadcast.ch and Digitag
Item added: 13th February 2007
DTT coverage extended to the Jura
The region of the Jura, along the border with France, can now receive DTT services. Viewers can access four television programme services (TSR1, TSR2, SF1 and TSI1) from the public service broadcaster SRG SSR.
Analogue switch-off in the Jura is expected to take place in the next six months and in the rest of the country by the Autumn of 2007, at which time, the broadcast regulator may allow the introduction of new television programme services on the DTT platform.
Source: Digitag
Item added: 27th December 2006
DTT services extended to more regions
The latest rollout of DTT services in Switzerland is in the German-speaking part of the country. Viewers will be able to access four-television programme services (DR1, DR2, TSR1, TSI1) offered by the public service broadcaster SRG-SSR. At present DTT services are available in northern Switzerland, the Lake Léman region and Tessino.
The complete rollout of DTT services is expected in 2007, when services will be made available in the Bernese Oberland.
The regions of Wallis and Graubünden will switch over by November of 2007.
Source: Digitag from the Basler Zeitung
Item added: 21st November 2006
Analogue switch off in the Engadin
On the 13th November 2006 at 1400, analogue transmitters in the Engadin region were switched off and digital broadcasting using DVB-T took over.
The switch off included analogue transmitters at Celerina, La Punt, Lavin, Piz Corvatsch, Pontresina, Sent, Tarasp, Zernez and Zuoz. The transmitter at Martina will continue analogue broadcasting for one more year to ease the transition.
The publicity campaign telling the population of the change began in July 2006 and now all viewers will need a Set Top Box or DTT receiver to continue to view Television.
Source: digitalesfernsehen
Item added: 14th November 2006
Further DVB-H tests in Berne
Swisscom Broadcast is to start a further 3-month trial of Mobile TV on the 1st November 2006.
In 2005, Swisscom Broadcast tested the technical functionality of DVB-H in cooperation with Orange, TDC Switzerland AG (Sunrise) and Swisscom mobile. Since these successful tests the partners have developed special DVB-H based radio and TV offerings, which will be used during the latest trial to test if the proposed DVB-H service meets customer needs. More than 200 people in the city of Berne will participate in the trial and will have access to up to 17 TV channels and three to four radio channels, which will be received using Nokia N92 mobile phones.
Source: Cellular News
Item added: 31st October 2006
Switzerland begins Analogue Switch-Off
The canton of Ticino became the first region of Switzerland to switch off its analogue TV services on the 24th July 2006, when it changed to digital terrestrial television from its DVB-T transmitters.
The old analogue transmitters at Pizzo Castello, Monte Ceneri, Cardada, San Salvatore, Monte di Motti, Castel San Pietro and Intragna were finally switched off at 12.45 pm
This the first switch-off of SRG services is estimated to have effected 25,000 households in the region.
Approximately 10-15% of households in Switzerland can already receive DTT transmissions and analogue switch off is set for 2009.
Source: Tages-Anzeiger Online
Item added: 25th July 2006 (updated 4th August 2006)
DTT to launch in Zurich
Viewers in Zurich and the surrounding area will, be able to access DTT services by the end of May. The services available will include DRS-1, DRS-2, TRS-1 and TS-1.
The launch of DTT services is taking place on a regional basis with those in French and Italian speaking regions already able to access DVB-T services. Full DVB-T coverage of Switzerland is expected by the end of 2007.
Source: Teltarif.ch
Item added: 7th May 2006
Ticino becomes the first to switch of Analogue TV
The canton of Ticino, an Italian-speaking region of Switzerland, will become the first to switch of its analogue television services on July 24th 2006. The switch off completes the transition to DTV which began on August 1st 2003 in the Ticino canton.
The DTT roll-out in Switzerland will continue until the whole country has coverage in 2008. Complete analogue switch off is possible in 2009.
Source: SRG SSR
Item added: January 31st 2006
DVB-H pilot begins in Bern
Around 100 people are now testing DVB-H technology for the delivery of TV and interactive services in Bern.
The trial launched by Swisscom Broadcast and Swisscom mobile will continue until the end of the year.
Test participants will have access to some 26 different television channels as well as interactive services using a Nokia 7710 smartphone.
The trial will focus on the suitability of DVB-H for TV delivery to mobile phones and also help resolve any technical problems in providing the service.
Source: Swisscom
Item added: November 1st, 2005
SRG starts digital TV in the Geneva Lake region
On 1st June 2005 Schweizerische Radio-und Fernsehgesellschaft (SRG) will start digital terrestrial TV transmissions in the Geneva Lake Léman region.
DVB-T services are already available in the Engadin and Ticino areas and should be available in the whole of Switzerland by 2009.
Source:http://www.werbewoche.ch/
Item added: 20th May 2005
Background
In an article from SRG SSR idée Suisse, Inform tech (1/04) Tino Cocco describes some of the plans for DVB-T deployment in the French speaking parts of Switzerland.
The Léman Basin, Fribourg region and Ollon, Bex and Lutschental should begin transmission by the end of 2004. The Bantiger, Aioie, Niederhorn, Chrischona and Val d’Herens regions should follow in 2005 with Jaun and Lenk in 2006.
Unfortunately many of these plans can only go ahead if spectrum-planning agreements are completed satisfactorily with France and the next significant meeting is in July.
The article show that in Geneva and other significant areas around main transmitters indoor portable reception will be possible.
