When it came to meeting the official ITU-set deadline of June 17, 2015 for switching from analogue to digital broadcasting, not all countries in CEE exactly covered themselves in glory.
The metaphorical wooden spoon would probably have been awarded to Bosnia & Herzegovina (B&H), which as we reported earlier this week in Broadband TV News has yet to even start the process. The reasons for this are apparently political, and given the deep divisions that still exist in the country, two decades after the war that devastated the former Yugoslav republic, that is hardly surprising.
In the meantime, this inactivity is causing interference problems with neighbouring countries, and in particular Serbia. Things are unlikely to get better until B&H finally starts the transition, hopefully later this year.
Elsewhere, Moldova finally began the process on the deadline day, having approved a strategy and made the necessary amendments to existing legislation only two months earlier. All being well, it will complete the transition in three years time.
Ukraine was also finally expected to start the digitisation process on June 17, though it has been reported that this has been put back to March 16. The transition will apparently take place in four stages, and some believe it is unlikely to be finished before the end of 2018.
While it is difficult to conclude why there has been so little progress in Ukraine to date, some have pointed the finger of blame at the multiplex operator Zeonbud. Its position as the sole provider of national DTT services in Ukraine has just been confirmed by the Kiev Court of Appeal.
Romania, too, was a laggard in the transition to digital broadcasting but finally seems to be getting up to speed. Indeed, its ASO took place on June 17 and it is now undertaking DVB-T2 tests in four cities, including Bucharest.
In Romania, on the other hand, the transition was fraught with difficulties from start to finish – ASO took place in September 2013 – not least due to controversy surrounding its multiplex licence awards.
All in all, the move from analogue to digital terrestrial broadcasting has been very uneven in CEE. While done well and indeed quickly in some countries (Croatia being a prime example), it has left much to be desired in others. What is more, we will still have to wait a few years before the entire region is digital.
