The French government has decided to keep the current digital terrestrial broadcast standard DVB-T for the six new free-to-air DTT channels announced by the regulator CSA.
However, the government plans to commit to DVB-T2 in the future. “Technological modernisation of TNT will be engaged (…) to allow the spread of high definition and a more efficient use of broadcast frequencies,” according to a statement, and “this will result in the long-term use by all DTT broadcasters of the DVB-T2 broadcast standard.”
There is no timetable for the launch of DVB-T2 in France, but CSA president Michel Boyon hinted to the AFP news agency that this could be at the end of 2015, beginning of 2016.
The CSA will now advertise the tender for the six new DTT channels, which could come on the air in the second half of 2012.
