While the British government is considering the future of terrestrial television transmissions, it is advising households to keep battery-powered or wind-up radios available in case of a national emergency. The ‘Be Ready’ campaign recommends preparing for at least three days without essential services, including electricity and telecommunications. The campaign web site is apparently hosted on WordPress, which may not inspire confidence about the level of resilience in response to bad actors, and that does not mean thespians. It does indicate the importance of broadcasting to communicate to citizens in such scenarios.

The emergency preparedness checklist includes an FM radio and a charged power bank among essential items for communication and information. The campaign has reportedly prompted a fivefold increase in demand for emergency radios, with some retailers reporting shortages of popular models.

The preparations include contingency arrangements for a prolonged electricity failure, sometimes described as a ‘Black Sky’ event. Although considered unlikely, a widespread blackout could disrupt not only electricity supplies but also mobile and internet communications, water and sewage services, fuel distribution and electronic payments.

The government has published scripts for emergency radio broadcasts, providing public health advice on drinking water, sanitation, food safety and other essential matters during a prolonged power outage.

The BBC has its own contingency arrangements to maintain radio broadcasting during a national emergency. Transmission sites have backup generators and fuel reserves, while satellite communications would enable journalists to contribute reports from emergency centres.

FM radio has particular advantages in such circumstances because receivers can operate independently of mains electricity. Conventional broadcast transmission also enables a single signal to reach large numbers of listeners simultaneously without relying on individual internet connections or mobile networks.

The government is also investing in alternative communications infrastructure. Its Advanced Research and Invention Agency has committed £70 million to research into high-altitude platforms capable of providing emergency mobile and internet connectivity when terrestrial networks fail. Such systems could provide valuable additional resilience, although they remain under development.

Terrestrial television transmission also provides independence from internet distribution, although most receivers require mains electricity. Households with batteries, generators or other backup power supplies could continue receiving broadcasts during an outage, provided the transmission network remained operational.

Digital terrestrial television transmissions can also remain available during telecommunications failures and cyber incidents that do not affect electricity supplies.

The distinction is significant because the government is simultaneously considering the future of digital terrestrial television. Its media Green Paper proposes a managed transition to online delivery, with terrestrial transmissions potentially ending in 2034 or continuing until 2044.

The government has committed to maintaining DTT until at least the end of 2034. It argues that the continuing migration of viewers to internet services will eventually make terrestrial broadcasting economically unsustainable.

The apparent tension between national resilience planning and the proposed withdrawal of terrestrial television has prompted criticism from transmission infrastructure operators.

Laurie Patten, the director of strategy and regulation at Arqiva, has questioned the consistency of government policy. He observed that some parts of government were considering a broadcast television switch-off from 2034 while others were warning of the risks of ‘Black Sky’ events and emphasising the importance of independent broadcasting infrastructure. He called for “joined up thinking”.

Arqiva operates the national terrestrial television transmission network and much of its radio transmission infrastructure. The company has presented an alternative to retaining the existing terrestrial television network in its present form. Arqiva has proposed replacing the current six multiplexes with three using the more efficient DVB-T2 standard, currently used for high-definition broadcasts, enabling the release of spectrum for other uses while preserving national terrestrial television coverage.

Under the proposed configuration, indicative annual DTT transmission charges could fall from around £230 million to between £120 million and £140 million. The share paid by public service broadcasters could fall from around £156 million to between £78 million and £87 million.

The financial implications extend beyond television. Many broadcast transmission sites are shared with radio services, meaning that the withdrawal of DTT could increase the costs of maintaining radio infrastructure. The government Green Paper estimates that retaining terrestrial television until 2044 could avoid approximately £160 million in additional radio costs, measured in present value, compared with withdrawal in 2034.

Internet distribution offers considerable advantages for broadcasters and audiences, including greater flexibility, personalisation and access to additional services. Broadband and mobile networks can also be designed with redundancy, backup power and alternative transmission routes. Nevertheless, the increasing convergence of communications onto shared infrastructure introduces dependencies that may be vulnerable to common failures.

Broadcasting is not immune to disruption. Transmission sites require electricity, programme feeds and operational support, while receiving equipment must also remain powered. Its particular contribution to resilience is that it provides an independent distribution path with different technical dependencies and failure modes.

The economics of terrestrial broadcasting are generally assessed against declining audience numbers and the costs borne by broadcasters. Yet the strategic value of maintaining an independent national communications network is not necessarily proportional to the number of people using it in normal circumstances.

The emergency planning published by the government already recognises the importance of radio broadcasting when other communications systems fail. As ministers consider the future of terrestrial television, the wider resilience benefits of maintaining broadcast infrastructure also warrant consideration.

The question is not simply how radio and television can be distributed most efficiently under normal conditions, but how essential information can continue to reach the population when normal communications systems are disrupted.

beready.campaign.gov.uk
www.arqiva.com

While some European countries are considering the long-term future of digital terrestrial television, broadcasters in Spain are investing in its development with the launch of new Ultra High-Definition services. Three national channels, La 2, Antena 3 and Telecinco, have begun UHD broadcasts, joining the existing La 1 UHD service. The expansion is accompanied by the introduction of UHD broadcasting by the Catalan public broadcaster TV3, demonstrating a continuing commitment to terrestrial television as a platform for delivering higher-quality pictures and sound.

The new services represent a significant expansion of free-to-view UHD broadcasting in Spain, involving both public service and commercial broadcasters. La 1 and La 2 are operated by the public broadcaster RTVE, while Antena 3 is part of Atresmedia and Telecinco is operated by Mediaset España.

Regional broadcasters are also adopting UHD. TV3, part of the 3Cat public media group in Catalonia, has introduced regular UHD transmissions, following Televisión de Galicia, which became the first Spanish regional broadcaster to launch regular UHD services in March 2025.

The expansion forms part of a wider modernisation of the digital terrestrial television platform in Spain, making use of DVB-T2 transmission technology to support UHD services. Viewers require a compatible DVB-T2 UHD television or receiver and may need to retune their equipment to receive the additional channels. Existing HD services remain available to viewers without compatible UHD equipment.

The investment follows the approval of a new National Technical Plan for Digital Terrestrial Television by the Spanish government in March 2025. The plan establishes a two-stage transition to DVB-T2, initially introducing UHD simulcasts of existing services before extending the technology across national, regional and local terrestrial networks. The second phase will begin once sufficient receiving equipment is available in Spanish homes. The government says the transition will allow terrestrial broadcasters to compete more effectively with services delivered by satellite and over the internet.

Terrestrial television remains particularly important in Spain. According to the national competition and markets regulator CNMC, DTT accounts for over 70% of linear television viewing, despite the growth of subscription streaming and other online audiovisual services.

In August 2026, the regulator described DTT as the principal means of accessing television news and many events of general interest, supported by its virtually universal coverage and free-to-air availability. The wholesale terrestrial transmission market generated approximately €173 million in revenue in 2025.

The transition is taking place against a background of declining linear television consumption. Average daily viewing fell to 154 minutes in 2025, down from 163 minutes the previous year, according to audience research company GECA. Nevertheless, the continuing reach of terrestrial television gives Spanish broadcasters a substantial existing audience for UHD services, without requiring viewers to subscribe to a broadband or pay-television platform.

The industry association UHD Spain has welcomed the launches as an important development for free-to-air television. Established in 2021, the organisation brings together broadcasters, network operators, equipment manufacturers and technology companies to promote the adoption of UHD, including higher resolution, high dynamic range and improved audio.

The developments provide a contrast with the debate in other European markets over the future of terrestrial broadcasting, where the increasing use of online delivery is prompting questions about the long-term role of digital terrestrial transmission networks. In Spain, broadcasters are demonstrating that terrestrial television can continue to evolve, offering UHD services alongside existing HD channels.

www.uhdspain.com

Terrestrial television channel numbering in Italy could be extended to accommodate services delivered over the internet under proposals published for consultation by the Italian communications regulator AGCOM. The plans explicitly recognise the DVB-I and HbbTV standards, reflecting the increasing convergence of broadcast and online television.

The proposals would allocate channel numbers 650 to 699 to local broadcasters and give priority to national broadcasters using numbers 950 to 999 to provide access to third-party programming over IP.

The Italian regulator, Autorità per le Garanzie nelle Comunicazioni, AGCOM, is consulting on four sets of rules covering terrestrial broadcasting authorisations, logical channel numbering, audiovisual and radio services delivered over other networks, and associated interactive and conditional access services.

The proposals would also explicitly allow broadcasters with existing terrestrial authorisations to deliver the same authorised television service over IP using their established channel numbers. This would support hybrid broadcast and broadband delivery without requiring a separate channel number for the internet version of the service.

Under the proposed logical channel numbering plan, the numbers 650 to 699 would be allocated to authorised local terrestrial broadcasters that enable viewers to access programming from third parties through advanced or interactive applications. Numbers 950 to 999 would be allocated on a priority basis to national terrestrial broadcasters providing similar access to internet-delivered services.

The proposals explicitly identify DVB-I and HbbTV as technologies that can be used to provide such services on hybrid television receivers equipped with both terrestrial tuners and broadband connections.

AGCOM proposes that broadcasters wishing to provide access to third-party programming over IP through their assigned channel numbers should apply for dedicated numbering. The third-party providers would also need to hold the appropriate authorisations for their services. Broadcasters operating the interactive access systems themselves could be subject to additional authorisation requirements.

The regulator also proposes safeguards when viewers access additional internet-delivered services through applications associated with terrestrial television channels. These include an explicit action by the viewer and an information screen identifying the transition to IP delivery.

The proposals follow an AGCOM investigation into the use of HbbTV for delivering audiovisual services through the terrestrial television platform, concluded in December 2025. The regulator says the increasing integration of broadcast and IP networks requires a coordinated revision of the rules governing television services and their distribution.

Italy has an established regulatory framework for logical channel numbering, with familiar national broadcasters occupying prominent positions and other numbers allocated according to service categories and geographical coverage. The proposed revisions would preserve existing channel number allocations while introducing specific arrangements for access to additional internet-delivered services.

The approach has implications for the development of DVB-I, which enables television services delivered over broadcast and broadband networks to be discovered and presented through a common service list. By accommodating hybrid delivery of existing authorised services while establishing separate arrangements for additional internet-delivered channels, the Italian proposals seek to support the integration of broadcast and broadband television while protecting established channel numbering rights.

AGCOM states that terrestrial channel numbering is not merely a technical mechanism but an important means of organising television services, helping viewers navigate channels while protecting the visibility of different broadcasters. The proposed rules seek to accommodate internet delivery without undermining the established allocation of terrestrial channel numbers.

The consultation also addresses the responsibilities of broadcasters and service providers, including editorial accountability, transparency of ownership and the efficient use of terrestrial transmission capacity. Existing broadcasting authorisations and channel number allocations would generally be preserved, with transitional arrangements for services affected by the new requirements.

The proposals follow several years of DVB-I trials in Italy, led by commercial broadcaster Mediaset, which began a proof of concept in 2019 and launched a wider market trial in late 2023. Mediaset has provided broadband versions of Canale 5, Italia 1, Rete 4 and 20, integrated into the television channel list alongside terrestrial services.

The Italian trial has expanded to involve other national and local broadcasters, as well as television manufacturers, with around 60 channels from more than 10 broadcasters demonstrated by September 2024. The experience has also informed the development of Italian receiver specifications, although the regulatory treatment of logical channel numbering has remained an outstanding issue.

www.agcom.it