DIGITAL SWITCHOVER STRATEGIES – LONDON. Ukraine will activate DTT transmitters in nine further locations this Wednesday (February 3), bringing the total number in operation to 12.
According to Ivan Omelianiuk, general director, Kvant-Efir, this will almost double the number of people covered by digital terrestrial signals from 6 million to 11 million.
Ukraine currently has a single multiplex DTT platform operated by a company named Ukraine Digital Network (UDN) and supplied with transmission equipment by Kvant-Efir. It offers viewers 9-10 FTA channels and can be watched with HD receivers – HD DTT channels are due to be introduced this July – costing less than $50-60 (€36.0-43.2).
However, Omelianiuk says the service is struggling to make an impact on the marketplace, with viewers already typically able to receive 13-15 analogue channels, and more in large cities such as Kiev.
As a result, only around 50,000 set-top boxes have been sold to date.
