Soup of the Day

Free to view HDTV could be saved by BBC’s Freesat service

Last week I posted an article about how getting free HDTV programming through your aerial might be in danger because Ofcom is considering auctioning off the analogue spectrum to the highest bidder

. Well things this week look a little better for free HDTV, as today BBC News reported that the BBC Trust, the BBC’s governing body, has provisionally agreed that a Freesat service would be of “significant public value” . Freesat is a service proposed by the BBC to supply free digital television services to the UK, as is currently enjoyed by millions of BSkyB customers, but without their pocket.

Freesat was first discussed by the BBC and ITV in the summer of 2005. But issues arose with suppliers of the equipment and ITV’s rapidly decreasing advertising revenue hindered progression. In 2006 the Freesat idea seemed long dead and nothing more was said about it publically. Behind closed doors it seems the BBC have been developing the idea, probably spurred on by the very positive feedback from Free-to-air HDTV testing in London last summer.

The satellite platform offers the BBC and other broadcasters much more bandwidth, allowing far more content, plus the ability to provide High Definition (HD) streams with immediate effect. For the BBC it will allow them to launch their BBC HD channel to a far wider audience, with the possibility of simu-casting (Simultaneous Broadcasting) of BBC ONE, TWO, THREE and FOUR in standard and high definition where the programming permitted. For all existing BSkyB customers fearing having to get a second dish to receive the Freesat service along side their existing Sky don’t fear, the BBC are planning to use the exact same Astra 2 satellite that BSkyB currently use, meaning no new dishes. Unfortunately everyone else will need a dish strapped to their house.

So why is the BBC investing in another delivery method beside their existing terrestrial transmissions and the internet? Mainly to get high definition images to customers, but also because currently only 75% of the UK population can presently receive terrestrial digital, the other 25% are going to loose their analogue signal from next year. Freesat will cover 100% of the United Kingdom, plus unofficially a little of Holland, Belgium, northern France and Ireland as well. This immediately allows the BBC to quickly give existing analogue viewers the ability to receive digital television, more of it and at a higher quality. The other option would be to pipe the television data down the phone lines, but the network isn’t fast enough yet to support high definition pictures, which is ultimately the BBC’s goal.

I can also see that the BBC may be thinking further afield too. At the moment the BBC are creating a new ‘i Media Player‘ that will allow computer users to watch BBC programmes over the internet and maybe the possibility of storing them for a predefied period. This demonstrates that the BBC are looking ahead at the way media and television is accessed by the masses and maybe Freesat will give the BBC an opertunity to get their box in your living room, just as British Telecom, Apple, Tivo, Microsoft and others are.

Unlike all the other suppliers, the BBC Freesat box would provide BBC content for free because all UK citizens pay for all BBC programming through our licence fee, that was recently increased. This means that BBC content can be viewed and shared for free by almost anyone in the UK and this opens up many more possibilities. This would allow a YouTube like system attached to your TV.

If Freesat was going to win the fight for your living room in the UK, then it would need to work with other content providers. Luckily the BBC have already announced that they are welcoming other channels, networks and providers to broadcast (traditionally) through Freesat. But the BBC and YouTube have been in talks for over a month now that if an agreement can be met, the BBC would provide content directly to YouTube. But this relationship could potentially work both ways and YouTube could be an integral part of this new system. Finally, the killer application could be the inclusion of a wireless network adapter, enabling the box to connect directly to the internet through your broadband connection. Suddenly the BBC would have truely interactive television as the box would be able to talk directly back to them, providing lots of customer value, and giving the BBC and other content providers instant feedback of their viewing numbers (for advertisers viewing numbers is pivotal).

Freesat will definately deliver high definition television pictures from the outset, but I think there could be a lot more potential for this box and the BBC will certainly be keeping wraps on any other plans until they come to fruition. Freesat is now going through a consultancy period and if approved could be launched by the end of this year.

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In other news, the petition placed on the Downing Street web site, calling for Ofcom not to auction off the analogue television spectrum when it is released in 2012, has been closed by 10 Downing Street. Their official response is posted below.

The Government recognises that HD is one of many applications that could utilise spectrum released by Digital Switchover.

Like Ofcom, the Government believes that technology-neutral auctions offer the most effective way of allocating spectrum. However, we also accept Ofcom’s view that some applications generate benefits for society, and that it is vital that these benefits continue to be captured in a world where spectrum if a flexible, market-based resource.

Spectrum management is now a matter for Ofcom, the independent regulator of the communications sector. On 19 December, Ofcom issued a consultation document on the Digital Dividend Review (which is concerned with the allocation of spectrum released by Digital Switchover). The consultation ends on 20 March 2007 and the Government looks forward to the developing debate the consultation has generated.

Given that the consultation is still in progress, we would advise the petitioners to respond to the above consultation, at http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/ddr/ in order to register their views. Additionally, Ofcom’s contact details are at http://www.ofcom.org.uk/contactus/

- The Prime Ministers Office

If you wish to protest further, I recommend writing directly to Ofcom to lobby for the spectrum to be given to the BBC and other broadcasters. Personally, if the BBC launch their Freesat service within the year, this argument looses out as all of the UK (with the addition of a satellite dish) will be able to receive Freesat from launch.