It's something to think about.
At the moment we can watch Saorview with just a TV and aerial, in the future we may be looking at a Compulsory Broadband Fee for Streaming Saorview Channels if the Terrestrial service is closed.
Another bill
https://rxtvinfo.com/2024/government-urged-to-commit-to-broadcast-tv/
Terrestrial may become 5G IP broadcast. From existing masts, hi-power hi-tower sites, with infill as required from existing mobile masts, lo-power lo-tower sites.
2rn would be allocated blocks of spectrum in exchange for existing UHF spectrum.
More efficient use of spectrum in the hybrid broadband broadcast environment and integrates with DVB-I.
Various trials on the continent.
Also, there has to be fallback option in the event of fibre failure .
Hi Cush,
Just to explain please.
Would this mean a possibility of Saorview DVB-I broadcasting on UHF, so it could be viewed for free without paying for a Broadband Connection?
Thanks
Yes.
DVB-I is just an application that integrates services like DVB-T, IP, DVB-S.
So if RTÉ decided to maintain an OTA option, instead of a purely fibre IP then 5G broadcast is that option beyond DVB-T.
That option would also allow people on the move to access Saorview via a DVB-I app on their devices without an internet connection.
Another thing is the looming end of Saorsat, by the end of the decade as the Ka-Sat satellite reaches end of life or premature failure with no replacement available.
NBP fibre should be already in that 2% Saorsat coverage area to feed Saorview IP once Saorsat ends.
A report published recently suggested the extra cost of such services to households could be in the region of 250e p.a., with the possibility for the need for new equipment and suitable broadband quality. That is if suitable broadband speeds are available in an area.
I hope not and hopefully they go the way of maintaining UHF OTA as Cush has mentioned, so we can keep receiving a free TV Service without the need of subscribing to a broadband Service.
Yes I know most have broadband, but as we retire many may not be able to pay for a broadband subscription, when we already pay 13.33 TV licence payment per month.
What report?
I see mention of this from a 2015 article on the clearance of the 700 MHz band for mobile services which happened back in 2020.
This one,
In theory, with the current technology in use they could (AIUI, open to correction) zero rate the content by URL and that would allow any device with a SIM to access the content without any subscription or data plan. For example, HSE.ie and gov.ie are currently zero rated and can be accessed by any smartphone with a SIM, no sub needed. Similarly three.ie is zero rated and accessible from any three SIM without any sub. Obviously it would need to be agreed between RTE and ISPs but in theory they could zero rate the RTE player URL in the same way that gov and HSE is zero rated (ditto for TG4 and VM players). It would also work with subscription services (broadband, mobile plans) and be similarly zero rated so as not to eat into data allowances on limited data plans.
The report, from Broadcast 2040+
https://www.broadcast2040plus.org/campaign-news
https://www.broadcast2040plus.org/_files/ugd/4e1def_c2059dcf53cb4909bbcd7a20356f5dca.pdf
5G Broadcast commercial rollout from 2026 https://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2024/10/28/rohde-schwarz-and-vantage-towers-team-up-for-5g-broadcast
