Spanish Government ploughs €2.6 million into promotion of digital switchover

Iñaki Ferreras | 06-11-2012

With a budget of €2.6 million, the Spanish Ministry of Industry’s department Red.es is looking for a company to conduct an advertising campaign to promote the country’s digital switchover.
Red.es aims to "raise awareness of the digital dividend," it explained to Europa Press . The Minister of Industry, Energy and Tourism, Jose Manuel Soria, said that the cost of this new transition, estimated at around €300 million, will be assumed by neighbouring communities.
Red.es, explaining the specifications, said "Given the steady increase in traffic on mobile networks, it is necessary to make available to telecom operators as soon as possible the necessary spectrum for network deployment." For this, the 790-862MHz band, currently used by some DTT channels, will instead be used by telecommunications companies to extend mobile broadband coverage nationwide and offer 4G services.
In order to enjoy the basic and new programming, viewers are required to retune theirs TV sets and in some cases upgrade their antennas. This update of antennas will cost around €20 per household, estimates the National Federation of Telecommunications Installers (Fenitel).
The goal of the advertising campaign, which will be rolled out on television, radio, print and billboards, is to make the public aware of the switchover and inform them about the necessity to retune their television sets and adapt reception facilities as necessary.
Furthermore, says Red.es , the campaign should communicate to the public the strong future of digital TV, which will allow the consolidation of HDTV, the introduction of 3D TV and the development of the Spanish equipment industry. It should, says Red.es convey "the economic, social and cultural liberation that Digital Dividend will mean for society as a whole".
The campaign, which will run for four months, will serve to raise awareness of the potential of 4G technology and the benefits it will provide and show the importance of 4G as a service closer to the public’s needs.
Initially, the release of the 790-862MHz band to telecommunications companies was scheduled for implementation by January 2015. However, in August 2012 the Government, in accordance with the Council of Ministers, moved the deadline to January 2014 to accelerate the arrival of 4G technology to Spain.