Ofcom propose to strangle Freeview HDTV

Ofcom are proposing to sell off bandwidth to the highest bidders when the digital switchover is complete in 2012. If implemented, this will leave no room for free public broadcasting of high definition television (HDTV) and will mean that HDTV will only be available via subscription services - i.e. we will have to pay extra for them.

Ofcom, the Office of Communications, is billed as "the independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries". They have responsibility for the allocation of the bandwidth that will become available when the analogue signal is switched off and replaced with digital.

A quick technical explanation: Television broadcasts are made by transmitting Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) radio waves and these are picked up by roof-top aerials. Currently an analogue signal is used and this requires a large portion (bandwidth) of the naturally occuring radio spectrum. Digital signals can be carried with a much narrower bandwidth than analogue, meaning that when the analogue signal is switched off, there will be a large chunk of the spectrum available for new uses.

There are a variety of uses to which the new bandwidth (referred to as the "Digital Dividend" by Ofcom) could be allocated. A lot of us who have bought HD Ready TVs might have hoped that at least some of this bandwidth would have been reserved for HD broadcasts, but Ofcom seem hell-bent on selling it off to the highest bidder. They claim to have commissioned market research that points to HD broadcast as being a marginal interest. Thiis is a kick in the face to all those people who have invested their hard-earned cash in HD Ready televisions.

So what can be done about it? Well there are a number of petitions on the No. 10 Downing Street site for a start. Finding these and signing them is a fairly painless process, so that is one option worth considering. Unfortunately Ofcom's formal call for responses to their proposal has now closed, but their website carries numerous contact points that are also worth a try. Why not give it a go if you, like us think that Ofcom has got it all wrong.

Links:

• Petitions at 10 Downing Street
• Ofcom Digital Dividend review