Bulgaria plans to get its troubled transition to digital broadcasting back on track by holding a contest for a multiplex in 2014.
In the meantime, reports Trud, it will spend BGN150 million (€76.6 million) on freeing up broadcast frequencies currently held by the military.
The information was supplied in a letter by country’s Ministry of Transport and Communications to the European Commission in a bid to stave off legal action over the earlier suspect award of licences for a total of six multiplexes to Hannu Pro and Towercom.
The letter is also understood to have contained assurances that Bulgaria’s electronic communications legislation will be amended in order to allow companies such as Austria’s ORS, which have DTT interests outside Bulgaria, to participate in the contest.
ORS previously took part in a DTT tender in Bulgaria but was forced to drop out of the race on the grounds that ORF is a major shareholder in the company.
