Romania sets price for new digital licenses

03-03-2014

Romania sets price for new digital licenses

By Iulia Blaga

BUCHAREST: The Romanian government has approved the starting price of 300,000 EUR for each of the five digital television licenses to be given via competitive selection by the National Authority for Management and Regulation of Communications for 10 years.

Four of these multiplexes are in the UHF (ultra high frequency) band and one is in VHF (very high frequency), in DVB-T1 standard. The winner of the first license has the obligation to broadcast free to air the public and private channels that are now going out via analog system, and the license holder must ensure coverage for 90% of the population and 80% of the territory until 31 December 2016.

As for the other four licenses (MUX 2, MUX 3, MUX 4 and MUX 5), operators must put incorporate at least 36 sources for each network by 1 May 2017. All the licenses will be active from 17 June 2015, when all analog transmission in Romania will cease.

Because of complications the move to digital was postponed for three years from January 1 2012 to January 1 2015, and in October 2012 Romania set a new deadline for the switchover.

Published in Romania