merrion street

Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte today announced Wednesday 24th October, 2012 as the official date of completion of the digital TV switchover, when the analogue TV network in Ireland will be switched off.

SAORVIEW – Ireland’s new national digital TV network, launched nationally by RTẾ in May this year – will replace the analogue TV network when it is switched off just over one year from now. Both networks will operate in parallel until then. The analogue TV network will also be turned off in Northern Ireland on 24th October 2012, Digital UK announced today, in order to make the transition to digital as straightforward as possible for TV viewers and broadcasters.

Minister Rabbitte said:

The availability of digital television and the switching off of the analogue TV network in a year’s time is a very positive thing for Ireland and will offer TV viewers a number of additional benefits, such as clearer picture and sound quality, more TV channels, radio channels, information services and high definition TV. Importantly, digital TV also uses less space in the broadcast spectrum band which means that Ireland will join many other countries throughout Europe and the rest of the world in freeing up space for other purposes, such as the provision of mobile or broadband services