Lanzarote turns off the analog television signal today and turns on Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT). On the Island you can see 31 channels, including national, regional and local. However, some areas of three specific municipalities, Haría, Tinajo and Yaiza, are experiencing technical problems, which will prevent an undetermined number of residents from watching television.
Throughout today, the analog signal will be turned off in Lanzarote homes. According to the public business entity Red.es, the latest data available is that 85 percent of the island's households are adapted to DTT, although this data is from the end of April.
DTT provides a greater number of channels and a higher quality image and sound, as well as other services such as original version, subtitles or information about programming, among others.
The National Observatory of Telecommunications and the Information Society (Ontsi) points out that the objective of DTT is to match analog coverage. This means that in those areas of the island where traditional television was not seen, DTT will probably not be seen either.
In Lanzarote, television was not seen well in some areas of the town of Yaiza and small areas of the municipalities of Haría and Tinajo. "The analog signal is more flexible," says Ontsi, since it can be seen with greater or lesser quality. "However, DTT either looks good or the screen is black," they say.
Ontsi points out that the Government of the Canary Islands has carried out a coverage extension although they cannot specify in which areas. For the areas where it cannot be seen, the Ministry of Industry together with the autonomous Executive has bought decoders to see the signal in satellite technology. These decoders will be provided by the Autonomous Community to those homes where DTT cannot be seen.
Local channels
The central government provides the signal for national channels, but for local and regional channels it must be the Canary Islands Government that provides coverage. In Lanzarote, five local DTT licenses were granted, of which four are already broadcasting.
Of the local channels, only the signal from Nueve is seen today, while the other three, which broadcast with another operator, will take a few days to provide the signal. Nueve assures that in a few weeks its signal will reach all of Lanzarote.
Of the three repeaters in Lanzarote, the local ones will only be able to broadcast from Montaña Mina, which means they will lose coverage if they do not invest in boosting that signal, since no financial aid will be provided to boost it.
ACN Press
RELATED NEWS
[Industry assures that digital coverage in Lanzarote "equals or improves on analog"->29015]
