DTT in two more regions
Teleradio Production Association, a company of the Ministry of Communications & Information Technologies of Azerbaijan, intends to establish digital broadcasting in two other regions of the country within a year, News.Az reports.
The Teleradio General Director, Aflatun Sharifov is reported to have said that DTT broadcasting will be established first in the regions with the biggest coverage area. These areas are covered from the Sheki and Zagatala stations.
Transmissions from Sheki can reach 60,000 people and Zagatala covers Gax and Balaken’s territories.
Digital broadcasting services have already been established in Baku, Ganja, Lerik and Shirvan.
Source: Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union
Item added: 28th February 2011
DVB-T roll-out programme approved
The Azerbaijan Business Centre is quoted as saying that a programme for the development and introduction of DVB-T digital television broadcasting systems in the country, has been approved.
The programme is in two stages.
The first stage (2011-12) will provide at least one open DTT package (8-12 channels) in Baku, Ganja, Nakhchivan and the border areas of the country. In total this would cover 60-70% of the population.
The second stage (2013) will provide two, three or more DTT packages (each of 8-12 channels) and these would include state, public, private and regional channels.
At present there are around 30 state-run, public, private and foreign TV and radio companies broadcasting in Azerbaijan.
Coverage extends to 99.9% of the population for one channel, 99.4% for two channels, 96% for three channels and 90% for four channels.
In Baku there are currently three digital terrestrial and cable networks broadcasting about 100 channels as a pay-TV services.
Nine national TV channels, AzTV, ITV, Lider, Space, Xazar, ANS, ATV, Idman Azerbaycan and ATV INT are broadcast terrestrially and via satellite.
About 310 private and state-run (MCIT’s company Teleradio) stations of various capacities are broadcasting TV and radio programmes in the country.
Source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 21st February 2011
24 DTT channels by the end of 2013
The number of digital-terrestrial television channels available in the Baku and Absheron regions is expected to reach 24 by the end of 2013 according to the country’s Production Association.
The Production Association along with the National Council for Television and Radio, says that 50% of the country will be covered by digital terrestrial transmissions by the end of 2010.
The National Council is also looking in to launching Pay DTT channels on the platform and these could include AzTV and LiderTV as well as the Turkish and Russian language channels operated by Teleradio
Source: Digital TV Europe.net
Item added: 18th October 2010
Azerbaijan to produce DTT decoders
KUR computer equipment company has announced its intention to begin production of decoders for digital television according to the Trend News Agency.
Production is expected to start in 2010. A spokesman for the company said that producing the decoders in country would significantly reduce decoder prices making them more accessible to the general population.
Today, decoders for the reception of DTT signals cost 40 manat (32 USD) to 100 manat (80 USD) on the domestic market.
Source: Trend News Agency
Item added: 23rd November 2009
Teleradio develops DTT introduction plan
Baku, Fineko/abc.az. Teleradio (Production Association of TV-Radio Broadcasting & Satellite Communications of the Ministry of Communications & Information Technologies of Azerbaijan) has developed a plan for switching to digital broadcasting in the country.
“We are planning to submit it for the consideration of the Cabinet Ministers” a spokesman announced.
The Association plans to launch broadcasting of TV programs using DVB-T and coded using MPEG-4 (H.264, AVC) in Baku by late July or early August.
Services will also be extended to Ganja before the end of 2009.
The time plan for the introduction of Digital Television in Azerbaijan is in three stages: 1st stage - 2007-10, 2nd stage - 2011-13, and 3rd stage - 2014-15 culminating in ASO in 2015.
Two broadcasting multiplexes, with four channels in each, will be put into operation initially in Baku, Ganja and Nakhchivan. One of the multiplexes will be made available across the country, providing 60-70% of the population with DTT coverage.
An additional multiplex will be introduced at the second stage of the plan in order to expand digital broadcasting coverage in Baku, Ganja and Nakhchivan. As a result, three multiplexes will be put into operation and two multiplexes throughout the country. Following this, population coverage will be increase from 60-70% to 90%.
In 2013 three 12 program multiplexes are to be commissioned followed by improving coverage to 98% of the population during the third stage of the plan.
DVB-T trial transmissions were launched in Azerbaijan as a pilot project in Baku on 10 October 2004.
Source: Azerbaijan Business Center
Item added: 24th July 2009
DTT services to begin in 2008
Azerbaijan plans to launch DTT services during the second half of 2008 in Baku and Ganca. This is not the first time that DVB-T has been transmitted in the country, previously in 2004 testing took place in the Baku area.
Rapid TV News reports that until recently it was TV from Russia and Turkey that dominated people’s entertainment choices as part of the 21 analogue channels available over the country. Turkey’s TRT is still on air, but the other “guest” channels ceased being carried on January 1st.
There are two Baku cable networks (B&B TV, and CaTV) with a total of some 40,000 subscribers. B&B’s offering is typical, with a maximum of 83 channels.
Azerbaijan’s National TV and Radio Council reports that there are currently 21 television channels, 11 radio stations and 12 cable TV networks, as well as three foreign radio stations and one foreign television channel (Turkey’s TRT) broadcasting in Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan, which is a former Soviet republic, has a population of 8.6 million.
Main source: Rapid TV News
Item added: 6th May 2008
One thousand users watch digital television
Digital Television began in September 2004 around Baku.
Four channels are used in these tests and over 1000 users watch the digital television services today.
Source: Azerbaijan State Information Agency
Item added: 13th September 2005
Azerbaijan to begin Digital TV tests
Azerbaijan will begin Digital TV tests very soon according to the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. An item published by Azertac, the State Telegraph Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan on September 1st 2004 stated that the number of TV channels would be increased and 4-5 different programmes could be put in an existing TV channel when digital TV begins. It was also mentioned that less picture interference and improved quality would be a benefit of changing to digital TV as well as bringing easy access to Internet.
Digital TV testing will start first in Baku and the Absheron Peninsula.
The information provided comes from many sources and whilst DVB believe it to be correct we cannot guarantee its accuracy.
If you have more up to date information or corrections please send them to dvb@dvb.org
Last page update update: 28th February 2011, Barry Tew
