IP&TV World Forum – London. Despite having operated DVB-T2 services since the beginning of last year, Finland is still without a national promotion strategy for the standard, with viewers knowing nothing about it or HD and the need to have another set-top box.
Summarising the state of play of DVB-T2 after one year, Tauno Aijala, MTV Media, Finland, said that 12 out of 63 channels are now distributed by T2, with transmissions being undertaken in both VHF and UHF. Furthermore, 20% of Finnish households had T2 access and its share of HD viewing amounted to 3%. However, there was more T2 capacity available than demand in a market served by three networks – Digita (TDF) and the telcos DNA and Anvia.
He added that T2 mobile would be launched in the middle of next month.
Aijala also said that Finland’s Ministry of Transport and Communications is preparing a programme for the future of TV, with the ‘big bang’ set for 2017, when all network and broadcaster licences, bar one, expiring at the end of the previous year.
The programme, for the years 2017-26, should be ready this spring and should, amongst other things, promote connected TV.
Aijala also said that the Finnish Communications Regulatory Authority (Ficora) is waiting to receive statements from stakeholders on frequency planning from 2017 until the end of this month.
