Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 24
By Huseyn Valiyev - Trend:
Teleradio Production Association (PA) of Azerbaijani Communications and Information Technologies Ministry starts installing backup transmitters to ensure the sustainability of the DVB-T standard digital TV signals, the production association told Trend on Feb. 24.
Teleradio PA said that at the initial stage the backup network will be set up in Baku and then will be extended to the country's regions. It will provide sustainability and expand the coverage of digital TV signals in settlements, which poorly receive the digital TV signal.
In order to create a backup network it is envisaged to purchase the necessary equipment. At the same time an action plan is being developed to disable analogue signal. Presumably the full transition to digital broadcasting standard will happen before late 2014.
The analogue signal will not be completely shutdown unless the country's entire population receives digital television decoders. The cost of these devices in the domestic market is 25-30 manats.
Currently the Teleradio PA conducts research on providing the population with decoders for digital TV. Appeals were sent to local executive authorities of Baku and Azerbaijan's regions in order to study this issue. The final data will be made public after the evaluation of all the results obtained.
Digital TV decoders will be provided free of charge for people receiving state targeted social assistance, i.e. the low-income families who get the targeted assistance.
Approximately 5.4 million manats are needed for production of decoders for low-income families. Delivery of digital TV decoders for these categories of population will be conducted by Azerbaijani postal operator - Azerpoct LLC.
Currently digital TV signal coverage in Azerbaijan's residential areas stands at 98 percent.
People living in regions can use a social package consisting of 12 channels.
The digital content is being broadcasted in MPEG-4 format.
Official exchange rate for February 24 is 0.7845 AZN/USD.