The switchover from analogue to digital terrestrial will cost the Italians at least €2.4 billion, according to the national consumers association Codacons.
Based on a footprint of 20 million households, an average decoder cost of around €60, and taking into account that each family will need at least two boxes for their TV sets at home, the total expenditure will amount to €2.4 billion.
However, Codacons points out that this figure could rise to €5 billion, as many citizens have decided to purchase the latest generation TV sets that already include the DTT receiver (prices vary from €300 to €1,000).
Also, a significant number of families will require an upgrade to their existing antenna system to continue receiving TV signals after analogue switch-off.
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