QCOSTARICA – With the move to digital television in progress, Costa Rica’s Department of Telecommunications has published a reference model for the transition to Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) – Modelo de Referencia y Plan Maestro para la televisión digital, in Spanish.
The analog switch-off will occur in Costa Rica on December 15, 2017.
The document includes recommendations for regulation terms, major players, statistics and technology, among other data. It highlights the need to generate lines of action that promote greater access to this service, especially for people in vulnerable situations, since most homes that have free-to-air terrestrial, are those with a lower monthly income.
Costa Rica has opted for the Japanese-Brazilian ISDB-Tb digital TV standard.
Digital TV tests are currently under way in the 506-512 MHz frequency band.
Cabletica, Costa Rica’s leading television cable operator, is already broadcasting Teletica channel 7 and Repretel channel 6, in digital format on basic cable channel 86. The operator also offers, in addition to basic cable, in the greater metropolitan area of San Jose, Cabletica Digital with more than 255 channels .
Out of the 1.44 million households in the country, 1.39 million have a colour TV set, with 34% receiving free-to-air (antenna) TV and 66% cable television (pay-tv).
