UK to complete DSO this month

The UK’s digital switchover project will come to an end on October 23 when Olympian Mary Peters turns off analogue TV services to Northern Ireland.

During the following day, main stations at Divis, Brougher Mountain, Limavady and 43 relay transmitters across Northern Ireland will switch to a new high-power digital system for Freeview, reaching 650,000 homes across the country. This will mark the final leg of the UK’s five-year, £630 million (€780 million) digital switchover project.

John Cresswell, CEO of Arqiva, said: “The completion of DSO in October will signal the end of what is a truly magnificent achievement for Arqiva and our Freeview partners, alongside Digital UK and Ofcom. In only five years, we have transformed this vital public service and built a modern platform for transmitting the best of British TV into over 20 million homes across the UK. Along with the launch of Youview, DSO, by providing digital television across the UK, cements 2012 as a landmark year in British broadcasting keeping free-to-air viewing for consumers, at its core.”