Nazaré changes to digital television successfully

The switch-off of the analogue FTA signal in the region of Nazaré/Alcobaça was concluded rather positively, demonstrating, as in Alenquer and Cacém, that the switch-over to digital television can take place smoothly, without major disturbances and with very few people being left without television.

According to the information collected by ANACOM through its public attendance services, three local attendance locations and the DTT helpline, only six families were left without television following the switch-off of the Nazaré relay, last Thursday, which affected about two thousand families.

The strong commitment to providing information to all citizens - through clarification sessions for the public and professionals – the timely delivery of a DTT Guide to all homes and the involvement and participation of the various local agents, enabled the migration to take place smoothly and the process to be concluded successfully.

ANACOM pays tribute to the populations of these pilot areas for their timely participation in the switch-off of the analogue signal. The example given has shown that in technical, market and communication plan terms, everything is operational, allowing people to prepare the migration to digital television under appropriate conditions.

DTT provides a marked improvement of the quality of sound and image, as well as features that are only available to those that had pay TV, such as an electronic programming guide, the option to pause the picture and the recording of programmes.

Following the conclusion of the three pilot areas, national switch-off will start on 12 January, when the transmitters and retransmitters of the coastal area of the country will be switched off, followed by the islands in March and the rest of the country in April. To prepare for the change at a national level, ANACOM will continue to focus on providing information to the populations and the involvement of local agents.

This is an inevitable process which will be all the easier the greater the active involvement of everyone, by informing family members, friends or neighbours, especially the elderly, more deprived or less informed, thus playing an invaluable role in the process.