Consultation on The Television Multiplex Services (Reservation of Digital Capacity) Order 2008

Consultation published by The Department for Culture, Media and Sport View original »

As part of the Government’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that radio spectrum is used as efficiently as possible, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport wrote to Ofcom in November 2007 asking the regulator for advice as to how certain new technologies might be used to upgrade the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) platform in order to release capacity for new services.

Ofcom issued its advice to the Secretary of State in April 2008.  This advice, the result of a public consultation process and discussions with the BBC Trust, recommended reorganising existing services on the DTT platform in order to utilise the new technologies and thus allow for new, possibly high definition, services to be provided.

In its advice, Ofcom acknowledged the limitations of its own remit in this area and recommended that the Secretary of State used his powers under the Communications Act (2003) in order to effect the proposed reorganisation.

The Secretary of State has decided to accept Ofcom’s advice, and intends to lay The Television Multiplex Services (Reservation of Digital Capacity) Order 2008 before Parliament.  However, before doing so, the Government would like to offer interested parties the opportunity to comment on the text of the order.

The following documents are offered in PDF and RTF formats.

Consultation documents PDF

Consultation documents RTF


How to respond

Responses should be made by 5pm Friday 9th May 2008, either by post to:

Max Hochrad
Digital Switchover Team
DCMS
2-4 Cockspur Street
London SW1 Y 5DH

Or by email to: maxwell.hochrad@culture.gsi.gov.uk

All responses will be published, unless you ask us not do so.  However, please note that all information in responses, including personal information, may be subject to publication or disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.  If any correspondent requests confidentiality this cannot be guaranteed, and will only be possible if considered appropriate under the legislation.

Timeframe

This consultation started around the 19th April 2008 but we couldn't automatically determine when it ends. Check its website for more information.

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