The deadline for the analog blackout is being evaluated by the MTC.

Although the covid-19 pandemic increased television consumption, the market has not fully recovered, which is why radio broadcasters -especially outside of Lima and Callao- have had difficulty starting broadcasts with digital technology in the simultaneous transmission modality, as foreseen in the Master Plan for the Implementation of Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT, ISDB-T). To date, Peru has 92 stations that broadcast on DTT.

According to information provided to theAndina agency by the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC), of the total, there are22 stations that broadcast on Digital Terrestrial Television in Lima (ten only broadcasts digital signal and 12, analog and digital signal).

Sebagai tambahan, there are another70 in provinces such as Chiclayo, Cusco, Huancayo, Piura, Trujillo, Arequipa, Pisco, among other locations. Of that figure, seven only transmit digital signals, and another 63, analog and digital signals.

Di 2019, only 13 stations broadcast a digital signal. After two years, only four more DTT stations could be added. During the health emergency due to covid-19, the MTC modified article 15.1 of the Master Plan for the Implementation of Digital Terrestrial Television in Peru on two occasions in 2021 due to the fact that therestrictions due to the new coronavirus generated a “negative impact on broadcasters” of territories 03 dan 04.

In addition to the fact that their economy was affected, broadcasters had difficulties importing transmitting equipment with digital technology, as well as their installation, warns Supreme Decree No. 029-2021-MTC, published at the end of 2021.

According to current regulations, simultaneous transmission (digital and analog signal) diterritory 3 -Ayacucho, Chimbote, Ica, Iquitos, Juliaca, Pucallpa, Puno, and Tacna- passed from the fourth quarter of 2021 to the same period of 2022.

Sementara itu, the radio broadcasters ofterritory 4 -Abancay, Cajamarca, Chachapoyas, Huancavelica, Huánuco, Puerto Maldonado, Moquegua, Cerro de Pasco, Moyobamba and Tumbes- must start these transmissions from the fourth quarter of 2023 (unlike the date foreseen in the first quarter of 2022).

The rest of the localities (territory 5) have the fourth quarter of 2024 as the start date, while the previous term was the first quarter of the same year. For direct transmission, the deadlines are maintained for the end of 2023, 2025, dan 2027, masing-masing.

Analog blackout standby

At the end of this year, it was established that the stations of Lima and Callao (territory 1) were going to stop transmitting the analog signal. This means that viewers will not see the content if they do not have the respective tuner. However, the MTC reported that the term analog blackout is still under evaluation.

Fortunately, due to the measures adopted by the sector, sejak 2019, 100% of newlyimported televisions had an integrated digital tuner.

How to know if your TV has a digital tuner? If the viewer does not know if his equipment has a DTT tuner, he cansearch for the television model from thissitus web . The online tool allows you to confirm if the TV requires anISDB-T tuner. The approximate cost is from 70 soles to 200 soles in virtual stores.