Digital terrestrial TV launched in the Kyrgyz Republic
Details
Rebecca Hawkes
| 12 November 2014
The national telecommunications operator of the Kyrgyz Republic, Kyrgyztelecom, has begun digital terrestrial television (DTT) broadcasting.

Based on the European DVB-T2 standard, the DTT network will be rolled out across the Kyrgyz Republic in phases. Phase I will cover 59% of the country's inhabitants, while Phase II (due to be implemented in July 2015) will add an additional 20%. Phase III, scheduled for November 2015, will see the coverage extend to 88% of the republic's population, while the final stage – in September 2016 – will see 95% DTT coverage.

Ukrainian company Quant-Ether won the tender for DVB-T2 equipment supplies, in a contract worth US$2.64 million. Eutelsat is providing satellite capacity and communications equipment for the project.

Kyrgyztelecom has been providing an IPTV service in the Kyrgyz Republic since January 2011.