Parts of Suffolk and Essex to begin digital switchover

Parts of Suffolk and Essex will begin the switchover from analogue to digital TV during the early hours of Wednesday (6 July).

The Sudbury transmitter and its 8 relays will switch to digital in two stages.

Tomorrow BBC Two will go digital only and some new digital channels will become available.

If you have Freeview, BT Vision or Top Up TV you’ll need to re-tune your equipment.

Analogue channels

Then on 20 July the remaining analogue channels will switch to digital and the remaining digital channels will become available.

If you have Freeview, BT Vision or Top Up TV you’ll again need to re-tune your equipment.

The switchover is being managed by Digital UK, the organisation with responsibility for the nationwide switchover process, who can be contacted on 08456 50 50 50.

Digital switchover

Digital switchover is the nationwide programme to move all TV services from analogue to digital between 2008 and 2012.

Ofcom’s role in the switchover process includes licensing the broadcasters, planning the use of the radio spectrum, and assisting on coverage issues.

Our wider role is deciding how best to use the valuable spectrum freed-up as a result of the switchover – the so-called digital dividend. This dividend will deliver significant benefits for people as new services are launched to use the spectrum.

TV transmitters

If you want to learn more about the switchover process, check out Ofcom’s feature on TV transmitters.

It looks at the history and development of transmitters in the UK and includes maps showing the locations of TV transmitters in each broadcasting region.

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