Policy development

Digital Television Project

From 2001-05, industry and Government worked together on Digital Switchover through the Digital Television Project. This resulted in the development of a detailed Digital Television Action Plan setting out the various tasks that had to be completed to enable the Government to make decisions on the timescale for switchover and the strategy going forward. The last version of the Digital Television Action Plan was published in October 2004. The report of the Digital Television Project was published in March 2005.

As part of the Digital Television Project:

• industry and Government completed two technical trials to give the Government a better idea of the practical and social issues consumers face when switching from analogue to digital television services. These were in 2003, Go Digital and in 2004-5 the Digital Switchover Technical trial.
  
  
  
• Government carried out an analysis of the costs and benefits of switchove, with an updated version published in February 2005
  
  
  
• Government identified those groups that are likely to have the most difficulty during digital switchover and developed the Help Scheme
  
  
  
• Government developed the ‘digital tick’ logo as a certification mark to help consumers through switchover
  
  
  
• in conjunction with the Sector Skills Council and the aerial industry, the Government worked to establish a professional qualification for aerial installers to help consumers identify competent and trustworthy installers. More information can be found on the Registered Digital Installer - Licensing Body website.

In September 2005, the Government published a Regulatory Impact Assessment and confirmed that switchover would take place between 2008 and 2012.

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