The process of migration of the transmitters comprising the digital television network (DTT), broadcasting in the 700 MHz band, ended today with the switchover of the Pico Arco da Calheta transmitter, in the Autonomous Region of Madeira. A total of 243 transmitters changed frequency, in a process that was carried out successfully and required an enormous mobilisation of ANACOM resources. This process involved over 100 ANACOM employees, corresponding to around a quarter of its total permanent staff.
Thus, from 18 December onwards, the 700 MHz band became fully released all over the country, enabling its use for the 5G implementation as soon as the process for allocating rights of use of these frequencies is completed. According to the schedule, it is expected that these rights may be allocated in the 1st quarter of 2021, after which the networks can begin to be installed, both on the mainland and in the autonomous regions, with the operators being responsible for deciding where they will start to instal their networks. With the adoption of 5G, all citizens and companies shall be able to benefit from high-speed internet, even in zones of low population density, including the autonomous regions, as the rules of the auction for allocation of the frequencies determine 95% coverage of the national territory by 2025, and 90% of the population of low-density parishes and of the autonomous regions' parishes.
The DTT migration process, which started on 7 February, had to be halted between March and August, due to the Covid-19 pandemic but, apart from that stoppage, always took place with the utmost normality. This process, in addition to enabling the evolution to the 5th mobile generation, also led to an improvement of the terrestrial reception of the DTT signal, with an estimated increased coverage of the DTT network of around 2% of the population (from 92.5% to 94.5%). The retuning of the receptors, which this process implied, also led to many more people, who up to then had only watched the four free-to-air channels (RTP1, RTP2, SIC and TVI), shifting to watch the seven channels available on this platform (RTP3, RTP Memória and Canal Parlamento were added to those listed above). These people had not previously done so due to unfamiliarity and/or not knowing how to tune their receptors.
ANACOM set up a free telephone helpline to assist the population in the DTT migration process which has received more than 110 thousand calls up to date. This helpline shall continue operational up to 31 December, despite the DTT network migration already being finished. The aim is to be able to continue responding to requests for assistance that emerge somewhat late. In addition to clearing up doubts and synchronising the equipment through the free helpline 800 102 002, ANACOM shall also continue to deploy technical teams in the field to provide home support to people who are unable to retune their television or DTT scrambler.
ANACOM had provided home support in 4830 situations Until the beginning of 18 December.
It should be highlighted that the DTT signal reaches 100% of the population, and that with this change 94.5% of the population shall be able to receive the signal by terrestrial means and the remaining 5.5% can access the service via complementary means (satellite). We recall that support is offered for the purchase of satellite signal reception equipment up to the end of 2023, with all the information for this purpose being available at http://tdt.telecom.pt/suporte.
ANACOM received the outstanding support of an enormous network of partnerships in this migration process, including municipal councils, parish councils, the GNR and PSP police, parish priests and representatives of other religions, the CNE (National Scouts Corps), the Social Security Institute and AMA (Citizen's Shops and Spaces), among other entities.
