Belarus brings forward switchover to 2012

Belarus has brought forward its plans for digital switchover from 2015 to January 1 2012.

The decision to progress quickly to switchover this year was announced at a meeting of the country’s digital broadcasting coordination group, the KDTSV.

Under the country’s original switchover plan, approved in 2005, 45% of the country was to have been covered by digital-terrestrial by 2010 and 75% by 2015. The plan was subsequently adjusted several times.

According to local reports, the head of the state body supervising the transition, Sergei Dudarev, told the meeting that the DVB-T network currently covered 82% of the country (and 93% of the population) via 51 transmitters. Dudarev said that digital switchover would facilitate the release of additional frequencies for broadcast and the future development of LTE mobile broadband.