The size of the OTT market in the Czech Republic could increase five-fold from the current CZK350 million (€13.5 million) by 2020, according to Michal Cupa, the head of the national transmission company Radiokomunikace.
Quoted by E15, he added that this would be one of the main advantages for the TV industry of deploying DVB-T2 at a time when the advertising market is flat.
However, there are huge question marks as to when DVB-T2 will actually be introduced in the Czech Republic.
Speaking at a conference entitled Innovation Day – The Future of Television, the public broadcaster CT’s consultant Pavel Hanus said that pilot broadcasts have to begin and a 2014 launch is realistic.
Although experts feel the transition to DVB-T2 is unlikely to happen before 2021 or even later (2025 has been quoted), Hanus added that he felt this was unfair.
Ultimately, the state should oversee the transition as it is a political decision.
Pavel Dvorak, a member of the Czech Telecom Office (CTU) and its former president, meanwhile said that his expected the completion date of the digital dividend to be between 2021-2024 and making it sooner could present serious problems.
