Despite the initial success of Freeview, new research reckons the UK will not meet its aim of becoming the first country in Europe to reach full digital switchover. The government had hoped to turn enough people over to digital TV that somewhere between 2006 and 2010 they could turn off the analogue TV signals – ahead of any other European country. But research from Datamonitor thinks that target is now looking optimistic and that Portugal or a Scandinavian country is likely to get there first.
Datamonitor analyst Chris Tant told they BBC that although he reckons some 18 million households will have digital by 2007 (with most growth in the number of Freeview users) he doesn't think digital take up will be sufficient to call off analogue by the end of the decade - "It will be very challenging to switch off analogue in the UK by 2010."
Despite the new findings the Department of Trade and Industry remains optimistic: "Switching off analogue terrestrial transmission could start as early as 2006 and be completed by 2010. Although it is a challenging timeframe, we believe that through the Digital Television Action Plan and a successful partnership between government and stakeholders the UK will meet the criteria for switchover."