France will be launching digital terrestrial television in all French overseas departments and regions (the so-called DOM-TOM) from November 30.
The DTT service is scheduled to start with a single multiplex in Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Réunion, Mayotte, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint-Martin, Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon,and the islands Wallis and Futuna, in French Polynesia and Nouvelle-Calédonie. At the same time, all analogue broadcasts will cease.
Between eight and ten channels will be broadcast, varying upon the region. The multiplex will offer five channels from public broadcaster France Télévisions (France2, France3, France4, France5, France Ô), Arte, France 24 (in French) and one or two of the regional private broadcasters, ACG, Polynésie 1ère, Nouvelle Calédonie 1ère, TNT TV, Guyane 1ère, Guadeloupe 1ère, La Une Guadeloupe, Carib’inTV, Martinique 1ère, ATB+V, KMT, Mayotte 1ère, Réunion 1ère, Antenne Réunion, Kréol TV, Saint-Pierre & Miquelon 1ère, Wallis and Futuna 1èr.
The new DTT service will use MPEG-4 and be available free of charge. It will be operated by RFO, the French public broadcasting organisation responsible for the overseas departments and territories. A complete overview of the new services can be found on the website of the French media regulator CSA (available in French only.
At the same time, a satellite delivered free-to-view service will be available for DTH homes, for which Aston has made a dedicated receiver.
In the DOM-TOM satellite is an important means of receiving television, with 59% penetration in La Reunion, 58.6 in the Antilles, 49.4% in French Guiana and 49% in Nouvelle-Calédonie. Canal Overseas, the international arm of the Canal+ Group, has about 250,000 subscribers in the Caribbean and French Guiana, served by the Intelsat 801, 120,000 in La Reunion and Mayotte, served by Eutelsat W2 and 35,000 in Nouvelle-Calédonie and Wallis and Futuna, served by Intelsat 701. In la reunion, Parabole Reunion has about 50,000 subscribers. In French Po9lynesia,. TNS serves about 40,000 homes.
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