Peru brings the first DTT implementation stage forward

NextTV LATAM | Wednesday, December 15 2010
The Peruvian Minister of Transport and Communications, Enrique Cornejo, pointed out that in 2012 there will be eight more DTT channels in the capital city of Lima. Therefore, Digital TV coverage will be completed two years before the date set in the initial schedule, in the cities of Lima and Callao. The aforementioned stems from the fact that investments made by operators enabled the acceleration of terms. In the second stage, which will start in 2011, the process will be move towards the interior of the country in Arequipa, Cusco, Trujillo, Piura, Chiclayo and Huancayo.
At present, Channel 2 (Frecuencia Latina), Channel 4 (América TV), Channel 7 (TV perú), Channel 9 (ATV) and Channel 13 (Red Global Televisión) carry out digital broadcastings in Lima and Callao. Five out of the eight channels expected to broadcast DTT in 2012 have already started investments and three of such channels will be granted licenses by means of bidding processes. In the next six regions included in the second stage, the maximum term to start digital broadcastings will expire in the third quarter of 2016. However, “investments may happen before as in has happened in Lima and Callao”, Cornejo stated.
Digital TV implementation in the country has taken place gradually in the four territories set by the Ministry of Transport and Communications: The first stage covers Lima and Callao, the second one includes Arequipa, Cusco, Trujillo, Chiclayo, Piura and Huancayo, the third one covers Ayacucho, Chimbote, Ica, Iquitos, Juliaca, Pucallpa, Puno and Tacna, and the fourth one covers localities that have not been included in previous territories.
According to the Schedule set by the Ministry, the analog blackout will start in Lima and Callao over the fourth quarter of 2020, in the “territory 2” it will start in the fourth quarter of 2022, in “territory 3” it will take place in the fourth quarter of 2024, and no term has been defined for the rest of the national territory.
News article via NextTV