The State Service of Special Communication and Information Protection has designed a draft resolution of the Government on amending the radio frequencies plan, which provides for postponing the analog TV shut-off deadline in Ukraine for January 1, 2019.
The relevant draft was examined at the meeting held on Tuesday by the National Commission for the State Regulation of Communications and Informatization (NKRZI).
The NKRZI decided not to agree upon the draft document, as it did not have any justification for postponing the deadline, as well as, according to Alexander Zhivotovsky, the head of the regulatory authority, it conflicted with the President’s decree on implementing the 4G communications standard in the country, since the release of the first digital dividend (frequencies can be suitable for introducing LTE – Inter Fax) was stipulated by the document as from 2019, while the implementation of the fourth generation communications was expected in 2017.
We understand that there are a number of issues on implementing digital television, which have not been resolved yet. And it takes some time. On the other hand, it is not logical to give another three years for someone to deal with them, not really realizing what to do, as stated by the head of the regulatory authority.
The Commission also suggested postponing the analog signal switch-off for June 1, 2017.
Under the current radio frequencies plan, the analog signal should be switched off in June, this year, but later on the National Television and Radio Broadcasting Council announced the postponement of that deadline.
