- Public broadcasters want to turn off Freeview in 2034
- This could leave up to 2 million homes without their main source of television.
- Sky informs proposes helping expand digital access to alleviate problems
Freeview is at risk of being shut down in the next decade, and there are major concerns that its removal will lead to cost increases, reliability issues and could leave 1.8 million households stranded unless things change.
Freeview, jointly owned by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5, is a digital terrestrial television (DTT) service that sends more than 100 television channels and radio stations to homes, provided they have a television antenna and a television with a built-in tuner. You will also need a TV license.
However, these stations are considering disconnecting the service. The argument for getting rid of Freeview is that most TV viewers stream shows over the internet, so it’s not worth investing in upgrading and maintaining an old service that most people don’t use.
As they explained in an Ofcom report from July last year, we will soon reach a “tipping point at which supporting DTT in its current form will no longer be commercially viable.”
A disconnection is likely to occur around 2034, as this is when contracts with network operator Arqiva are due for renewal. It is also predicted that by then fewer than two million households will rely on Freeview as their main television source.
The alternative would be a solution based on Internet television through streaming applications or services such as Sky and Virgin TV.
However, opponents of the blackout have pointed out that reliable internet or pay TV packages are not free, creating a greater cost burden for people who rely on Freeview. There are also fears about how reliant we are on the internet, a service that is not always reliable, and that smart TV apps and features are not as easy to understand for older people (who make up much of Freeview’s most reliant audience).
What’s more, a Department for Culture, Media and Sport report estimates that 1.8 million households will be reliant on Freeview by 2035, of which 700,000 will not have an internet connection that they can use for alternative systems.
stuck in the past
An alternative solution to this other than simply sticking to Freeview’s DTT model would be to focus on improving internet infrastructure to make it more reliable and accessible; And not just for television, the Internet is an essential part of modern life, and there would be enormous public benefit in ensuring reliable high-speed Internet is as available as other basic services such as water, electricity and gas.
It would be a much better use of public funds than maintaining a service that a fraction of people depend on.
We could also institute a plan very similar to the successful campaign that helps people make the transition from analog to digital television, making a change that seemed equally scary relatively seamless.
Beyond simply helping people better understand the new system, we could also incorporate TV manufacturing rules, such as saying that all smart screens must have Freeview Play pre-installed (Freeview’s version of the on-demand streaming service) and an instant access button on your remote control in the UK.
Sky published a report suggesting that taking proactive measures could more than halve the number of households left behind when Freeview is switched off (leaving just 330,000 by 2034).
For now, no decision has been made, and with the earliest date for a blackout being 2034, there is no rush to make a final decision. However, taking a forward-looking approach rather than wasting investment on outdated technology is unlikely to be the wrong decision in the long term, but we will have to wait and see what is decided.
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