Czech digital transition continues

According to Pavel Dvorak, the head of the Czech Telecom Office (CTU), between 400,000-600,000 people, equivalent to 5-7% of the population, will no longer be able to receive analogue TV signals by the end of the year. Although limited DTT services are already available in Prague, Brno and Ostrava, the transition to digital, undertaken on a region by-region basis, is getting under way in earnest in Domazlice and environs near the German border. What is more, by December up to 42% of Czechs will be able to watch DTT services. In other developments, the Czech MSO Karneval has aligned its Internet offer with that of UPC’s. This follows a similar move last month for telephony services as the the two companies integrate following Liberty Global’s acquisition of Karneval, which received final approval from the Czech antitrust office (UOHS) in January. Karneval and UPC have a combined total of around 200,000 Internet subscribers.(CD)