Belgrade, 6-7 October 2011 1

Transition to Digital BroadcastingFrench experience

Jean-Jacques GUITOTANFR

Sub-Regional Workshop on Transition to Digital Broadcasting and Digital Dividend

Belgrade, Serbia; 6-7 October 2011

Belgrade, 6-7 October 2011 2

Before GE-06, June 2006

• Existing situation before GE-06, June 2006– In VHF, an existing national analogue network – In UHF,

• 4 existing national analogue networks, complementary stations of VHF network

• and 5 existing Digital networks with limited coverage planned within Chester 97 Agreement

• May 2006, set up of the Comité stratégique pour le numérique (CSN) to lead the migration to Digital and to make the switch-off– Chaired by the Primer Minister– to coordinate and direct national efforts on the development of digital

terrestrial broadcasting, analogue switch-off and digital dividend

Belgrade, 6-7 October 2011 3

After GE-06, June 2006• 2007, The Broadcasting Act, Law about the future of Digital Terrestrial

Television– Analogue switch-off is to be completed on 30 November 2011 at the latest and

for 95% of the population to be covered at this date; – The frequencies released by terrestrial analogue TV broadcasting switch-off

are subject of a transfer by the Prime Minister to the administrations, to the Broadcasting Authority (CSA) and/or to the Regulatory Authority for electronic communications and Post (ARCEP), within the framework of a national plan of re-use of the released frequencies. The law states that « This plan aims at favoring the diversification of the offers of services, improving overall the territory the digital coverage and the equitable access to the electronic communications networks and developing the efficiency of the radiocommunication access of public utilities and the optimal management of the radio frequency spectrum asset»;

– A Committee for the digital dividend (four members of the Parliament and four members of the Senate) is established to provide recommendations for the establishment of this Plan after public consultation.

– Sep up of a Public-private partnership for the co-ordination for the digital switch-over and the analogue switch-off and for managing the special funds reserved to help low revenue households to get DTT equipments or to get the continuity of TNT reception (over satellite reception or ADSL).

Belgrade, 6-7 October 2011 4

Three inter-related objectives :• Extension of digital TV

– Coverage of 95% of the population before analogue switch-off– Additional multiplex (HDTV, mobile TV, “bonus” channels) to the 5 MUX used for introduction of

DTV. – Provides conditions for the provision of additional local and national digital programs

• Analogue switch-off– Switch off before 30 November 2011– Final DTTB plan to be decided by the Prime Minister

• with targets : % of population to be covered and number of MUX to be broadcasted• Taking into account GE-06 allotments and replanning in the DD Band

– Detailed plan for progressive switch off (area per area) should be published by the broadcasting authority (CSA) 9 months before its realization

– Organise the joint public-private partnership (France télé numérique) to organise analogue switch off communication and assistance activities

• Digital dividend– National scheme for the reutilization of frequencies made free by the analogue switch off to be

decided by the Prime minister after consultation of an ad-hoc parliamentary commission on the digital dividend (currently done with the allocation of 790-862 MHz band at the end of 2008)

– The majority of the digital dividend is to be attributed to broadcasting– Preparation of the modification of the National Table of Frequency Allocation– Refarming of existing incumbent– Replanning GE-06 Allotments in the DD Band

The issues

Belgrade, 6-7 October 2011 5

March 2007 Law “Television du futur”

22 December 2008

End of 2011

National plan for the analogue switchover and the analogue

switch-off and the use of the Digital Dividend is published :

region by region between January 2010 and November 2011

April 2007 Creation of the “GIP France Télé numérique”

Co-ordinate analogue switch off

Responsible for funds reserved to help low

revenue households to get DTT equipmentsOctober 2008

toFebruary 2009

1st switch-off; experimental trial

Switch-off completed : > 95% population

Nationalcommunication

And

Localinformation

towards people

concerned with

Switch-off

March 2005 Launch of DTT (“TNT”) : 35 % of the population

Switch-off roadmap

May 2006 “Comité stratégique pour le numérique”

Belgrade, 6-7 October 2011 6

Extension of the Digital TV

2006

Fin 2011Fin 2011Fin 2011End of 2011 95% 91%

Coverage of the

population

(National average)

Fin 2011Fin 2011Fin 2011End of 2010 93% 89%

Fin 2011Fin 2011Fin 2011End of 2009 92% 85%

Coverage of the population (Departments)

With the following constraints- to offer the 5 MUX in the same time in an area- no disruption of TV analogue service

Belgrade, 6-7 October 2011 7

The DTTB switch-over challenge

• 27 Millions households

• DTT simulcast with analogue TV until the end of Analogue TV in the region

– 4000 analogue transmitters impacted by the DTT switch-over

– 13 000 frequencies reassigned

Frequency Coordination

Frequency Coordination Frequency

Coordination

Frequency Coordination

Belgrade, 6-7 October 2011 8

The switch-over and switch-off region by region

1/ Alsace

2/ Lorraine

Franche

-Comté

3/ Champagne

- Ardennes

1/ Basse-Normandie

2/Pays-de-Loire

3/ Brittany

http://www.tousaunumerique.fr/ou-et-quand/

Belgrade, 6-7 October 2011 9

Result of the TV Transition

In 2008

Mobile TV

DigitalAnalogue

broadcasting

Since 2007More local

TV

Calendar still to be defined

R1LOCAL

CHANNEL

R2

R3

R4

R5

R6

MPEG-4 (paid channel)

MPEG-4 (HD free channel)

MPEG-2 (paid channel)

/

Belgrade, 6-7 October 2011 10

Thank youguitot@anfr.fr