NetCologne and NetAachen kick off digital migration

NetCologne’s HQ

Germany service provider NetCologne and its Aachen majority-owned joint venture NetAachen have kicked off the process of switching off analogue TV signals in their network.

The digital switchover will mean that 265,000 homes in the Cologne area and the cities of Bonn, Leverkusen, Aachen, Düren, Düsseldorf, Remscheid and Neuss will no longer be able to receive analogue TV by the end of this month.

The switchover will take place in two phases. First, analogue signals in the Düsseldorf and Neuss areas will be switched off on January 9, with digital migration in Cologne, Bonn, Leverkusen, Remscheid, Aachen and Düren to follow on January 30.

NetCologne said that the majority of NetCologne and NetAachen households were already receiving digital TV services, with over 300 services available including more than 100 in HD. NetCologne and NetAachen also provide 70 channels from pay TV provider Sky Deutschland.

NetAachen is 84% owned by NetCologne and 16% owned by Aachen public utility Stadtwerke Aachen.