German cable operator NetCologne will terminate analogue TV distribution on its network in January 2019. The move will also affect sister company NetAachen.
The around 255,000 TV households served in the areas of Cologne, Bonn, Leverkusen, Aachen, Düren, Düsseldorf and Neuss will then only be able to receive digital TV channels.
Analogue FM radio will not be affected by the transition and continued to be offered by both cable operators.
The capacities vacated through the analogue TV switch-off will be used for new services and offers such as Ultra HD and for faster internet access with a data rate of up to 1Gbps. The highest speed currently provided amounts to 400Mbps.
Digital cable households can already receive over 300 digital TV channels, more than 80 of them in HD quality. The line-up also comprises proprietary pay-TV packages, more than 65 channels from pay-TV broadcaster Sky Deutschland, an international TV proposition in over 15 languages and more than 70 radio stations.
NetCologne and NetAachen want to inform their customers about the switchover to a sole digital TV service in close collaboration with local media authority Landesanstalt für Medien. An information site was also created on the internet.
