The UK’s aerial installers are gearing up for analogue switchover, but it has not been without its problems.
The British love of committees combined with the current political desire to ‘consult’ on anything that moves has meant planning for the UK’s long-winded digital switchover has been meticulous.
This week the CAI, celebrating 30 years as the association for the UK’s aerial installers, held its annual trade fair. Having parked my Toyota Yarris among the white vans at the National Agricultural Centre in Warwickshire I took my place in the hall.
There has clearly been friction between the CAI and Digital UK, particularly on the creation of the Registered Digital Installer (RDI) scheme through the Department of Business, the CAI after all recommends to the public that its members are the ones best qualified to carry out any aerial upgrades. In October 2006, the CAI resigned from the scheme, knowing that it had lost the support of its members. Instead it launched its own CAI Plus as a membership tier for those who had completed additional training.
It was significant that switchover body Digital UK had a significant presence at the CAI Trade Fair. Tim Jenks, the CAI technical executive, welcoming Digital UK’s Jane Ostler said. “I think the CAI can do business with Digital UK on what we have ahead”. Ostler and her colleague David Harby were well received and gave advice on some of the installation issues that had emerged following last year’s Whitehaven switchover.
There was a welcome recognition that elements of the RDI were too easy to sign up to. “Some schemes aren’t delivering and we have to address that,” said Ostler. As she spoke a clipboard was passed round, the presentation counting towards the CAI supported NVQ qualification.
Ostler dispelled some of the myths that had already appeared in the market, such as the need to replace aerials, when in reality this was only the case for about 7%. This may have disappointed the room, but with 53% of flat dwellers relying on communal aerials, there is plenty of business to be had. Here set-top aerials are often used on second sets, and despite ten-fold power increases in some areas, 50% of these will still refuse to work after switchover. A retail opportunity waits.
Then there is the advice that dealers will need to dispense, explaining to Granny in Whitehaven that the digital channels she has just got used to will move again once the transmitter at Caldbeck switches off its analogue signals. This solicited a groan and mild blasphemy from the installer sitting on my right.
Digital UK has produced a list of early DTT receivers, largely the survivors from On Digital, which will no longer work after switchover but including some personal video recorders. The body’s website also has details of transmitter work and a postcode checker that works to virtually the front door.
