Colombia mandates FTA players to share broadcasting infrastructure


Details

Juan Fernandez Gonzalez

| 19 January 2016




Looking to improve competitiveness and accelerate DTT deployment, Colombia's telecom regulator is to force free-to-air (FTA) players to share broadcasting infrastructure.



The Comisión de Regulación de Comunicaciones (CRC) has regulated the infrastructure sharing conditions to ensure that every operator can access the necessary means to broadcast if needed.

“In CRC's own reports it was observed that it was necessary to apply new measures to make easier the access to broadcasting towers, power and other infrastructures needed to deliver a free-to-air TV service,” stated the regulator.

The owners of such infrastructure and the broadcasters now have four months to determine a fair price for sharing their technology, so every network can be aware of the costs. In addition, procedures and future problem resolution will be standardised by the new regulation.

According to the CRC, the measures intend to speed up the deployment of FTA networks across the country, improve coverage and make it easier for new operators to enter the market, thus increasing competition.

As with many other Latin American countries, Colombia is currently immersed in DTT deployment, and has scheduled the analogue switch-off for 2019. The country is the only one in South America to have chosen the European DVB-T standard.