Norges televisjon

Norges televisjon (NTV) (literal English translation: "Norway's television") received the official licence to build and maintain the digital TV network in Norway, on 2 June, 2006. Final preparations for the actual implementation of new antennas and equipment at 452 antenna sites throughout the long-stretched country, started immediately after, and the actual implementations could begin on 23 August, 2006. [Norges televisjon's official information pages in English: http://www.ntv.no/modules/module_123/proxy.asp?D=2&C=19&I=27]

The main network will provide digital TV-signals to 95 percent of the Norwegian population. Due to the topography of Norway, with high mountains, deep valleys and fiords, a supplementary network consisting of 400-800 antennas will be established to cover about 12 000 households, that are unable to receive TV-signals either from satellite, cable or broadband distributions.

Launch

The digital TV network in Norway will open in region by region from September 2007 throughout December 2008. The analogue networks will be closed down successively, after a 6–12 months period of parallel operation in each region.

Owners

The NTV is owned by the NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation), TV 2 and Telenor Broadcast Holding, holds equal shares of the NTV company, as well of the pay-TV operation NTV Pluss, that will provide the pay-TV service of the DTT platform.

Coverage

Government regulations states that the first multiplex must cover at least 95% of the population. Coverage is defined as sufficient field strength at a permanent residence with a directional outdoor antenna placed up to 10 metres above the ground. Persons permanently living in residential areas located in defined satellite shadow shall also have access to the programs in this multiplex.

The second multiplex must be rolled-out in parallel with the first multiplex and also offer 95% population coverage. However, it does not need to cover the satellite shadow areas.

A satellite shadow area has been mainly defined as following:
* No access to cable network or other technologies such as broadband
* Cannot receive signals from a satellite where NRK1, NRK2 and TV2 are available because: 1) no clear line of sight from the parabolic antenna to the satellite, even when the antenna is placed in an in the invitation in detail defined optimum location. 2) the line of sight and reception is obstructed by mountains or other topographic conditions

Milestones of Norwegian Digital Television

1960 Launch of formal television transmissions by the public broadcaster NRK

1992 Launch of commercial television broadcaster TV2

1997 Launch of digital satellite television

1998 DTT testing begins in Oslo

1999 2 December. DTT legal framework established

2000 June. Pilot trials cover 25% of population

2002 18 April. Government approves DTT licence procedure

2002 28 June. Invitation to tender for the DTT frequency license and the broadcasting facility license

2004 19 February. The Norwegian Parliament (Stortinget) increases the requirements for DTT population coverage

2005 10 February. Request by the only applicant for the DTT licenses, Norges Televisjon AS (NTV), to extend the length of the license from 12 to 15 years

2005 30 June. Government re-opens invitation to tender for the DTT licenses

2005 30 September. Deadline for submitting the DTT licenses application

2006 2 June. Government issues the licence to build and maintain the DTT operation to Norges televisjon.

ee also

* Digital television in Norway

Notes