More UK households get digital TV
21 June 2007
More than 80% of UK homes now have digital TV on the main set, according to research published by Ofcom.
In the last three months a further 869,000 UK homes acquired digital TV for the first time, following over a million additions the previous quarter.
About 25,000 households in the Whitehaven area of western Cumbria will be the first to have the analogue signal switched off from 17 October.
The whole of the UK will have followed by the end of 2012.
Every TV set in the country must be connected to Freeview, satellite, cable or broadband TV by that date in order to receive a signal.
'Tipping point'
Ofcom's report added that Freeview was on the main set in 8.4 million homes - up from 7.7 million at the end of December. BSkyB has 8 million UK subscribers.
A further 3.4 million subscribers were opting for cable television - its highest level of take-up in almost five years, and 62,000 homes were receiving TV over broadband, an increase of 44% on the previous three months.
Ofcom chief executive Ed Richards said: 'More than four in five UK households are now enjoying the benefits of digital television.
'It's great news that we are continuing to see the market grow strongly as we approach the start of digital switchover.'
UK Digital, who are responsible for implimenting the switchover, welcomed the new figures.
Chief executive Ford Ennals said: 'We've finally reached a tipping point with more than half the UK's 60 million televisions now digital.'
Ends
(Source - www.bbc.co.uk)
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