Deutsche Telekom will terminate the distribution of analogue TV and radio channels as part of its wholesale cable TV supply service for the housing industry, a spokesman of the German telco confirmed to Broadband TV News.
The channels will then only be provided in digital. The digital line-up comprises more than 135 unencrypted TV channels including 25 channels in HD resolution, more than 35 foreign-language channels, pay-TV packages and radio stations.
In April 2018, Telekom will conduct an analogue switch-off trial in federal states Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, said the spokesman. The gradual analogue switch-off across the whole of Germany will commence after the FIFA Football World Championship in August and take until the end of 2018.
On a dedicated website, cable customers are informed about analogue switch-off. Telekom also wants to insert scrolling text messages into analogue channels and offer a telephone hotline.
With the move, the telco is in line with the other German cable players planning analogue switch-off at the end of 2018. As part of the initiative Digitales Kabel, Telekom supports the project office coordinating analogue switch-off together with the media authorities, industry associations, TV broadcasters and cable operators.
