[21.12.2006 first posted on silicon republic]
A new bill has been published by the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources that provides for digital terrestrial television (DTT) services as well as broadcasting Irish content to Irish communities overseas. It also sets in motion plans to switch off Ireland’s analogue TV network after 40 years in use.

“A new framework will also be established to allow for the licensing of digital terrestrial television,” the Communications Minister Noel Dempsey TD said. “This new framework amends the existing framework set out in legislation and makes it more flexible.
“The framework will also allow for consideration of the licensing of digital sound broadcasting services in due course.”
The new bill will be introduced in the Oireachtas early in the New Year.
Dempsey spoke about the evolution away from analogue television and said: “Ireland has been well served by its analogue terrestrial network for over 40 years. During this time Irish viewers have watched RTE services on a free-to-air basis throughout the country. In more recent times further services have been provided on this basis by TV3 and TG4.”
Building on the current experience with the DTT Pilot, Dempsey said Ireland will now proceed to upgrade this analogue network to a digital terrestrial network.
“The advantages of DTT are many. As DTT uses spectrum more efficiently, many more TV channels can be provided, picture quality is better and high-definition and interactive services can also be made available,” he said.   “Once DTT has been rolled out and viewers have swapped over to DTT or other digital platforms such as cable, satellite and IPTV, it will be possible to switch off the analogue transmission network.
“The proposed legislation allows for analogue switch-off in the future when the time is right and viewers have switched away from analogue television. Switch-off will free up valuable spectrum for more broadcasting and other new services,” Dempsey said.
By John Kennedy