Last resort

Ofcom has put forward three options about the future of tv broadcasting by (digital terrestrial) transmitters and satellites, with usage rapidly being eroded by a shift to getting tv services via the internet. It's a shame they don't consider radio in the same way at the same time; when 'someone' decides to take out a country's internet provision, easier to jam up than transmitters, we risk having no communication from whatever Government we may have left. 

The obvious answer is a mixture of 1 and 2..... 

1. Investment in a more efficient DTT service – a more efficient, but full DTT service could be an option if audience scale and investment could be sustained over the 2030s. This option may well include supporting audiences with new equipment for more efficient broadcast signals.

2. Reducing DTT to a core service – the DTT platform could retain a minimum number of core channels – for example the main public service and news channels. This would mean viewers mainly using the internet to access TV services, while also maintaining infrastructure that could deliver radio or TV, including if there are internet outages. It could be done as a temporary transition to a fuller switch off or remain indefinitely as a provider of last resort.

3. Move towards DTT switch-off in the longer term – a planned campaign to ensure people are confident and connected with internet services, so DTT could be switched off. It would take careful planning to ensure universality of public service media, with support for people so that no-one is left behind. This could have wider benefits for digital inclusion in other areas of society.