Gentiloni says DTT frequencies will be released

Italy’s minister of communications Paolo Gentiloni has said the digital switchover process will include the advertising of released spectrum to new operators. The minister was speaking in response to a question from Mediaset, which has announced plans to use capacity in the Cagliari region currently used by Raidue and Rete 4 for test transmissions in the high definition format, preventing other users from taking up the spectrum.

“I understand the broadcaster’s drive to reallocate available frequencies within the family both for high definition and other technologies, but they should know that we are prepared to resort to judicial measures to reach our target.” Gentiloni was speaking during a conference on digital broadcasting organised by the Roma Tre University. He called for co-operation among broadcasters saying that the available frequencies may be less than some parties are expecting.