Spanish Government to allocate €10 million for ‘digital dividend’

Iñaki Ferreras | 11-10-2012

Spain’s Secretary of State for Information Society (SETSI), Victor Calvo Sotelo, has revealed that it will allocate €10 million within the State Budget (PGE) for the transition of DTT for the advancement of the 4G 'digital dividend'.

The Government had originally allocated €40 million for the dividend and will devote the remainder of this amount to items that are more productive, such as supporting young entrepreneurs.

"The plan of the digital dividend is an obligation imposed on us by the European Union. With the programme of the previous government we would have paid €900 million, according to our accounts, it has now been reduced to €300 million," Calvo Sotelo said responding to a question from the Socialist deputy, María González Veracruz. To Calvo Sotelo this plan is "simple", which will cost less for each building affected and which will produce less transfers, taking into account the changes necessary for a second digital dividend in the future.

The previous government had pledged to fully assume retuning spending so users would not have to bear the cost, however, the current Executive has indicated that this money has gone to cover other expenses and viewers will have to take the hit. Calvo Sotelo pointed out that what matters is not so much who is going to pay but the amount to be contributed by all for the plan.