Spain adopts the DVB-T2 standard in its new DTT Plan

This Tuesday, the Council of Ministers approved the new National Technical Plan for Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT), which establishes a legal and technical framework to introduce the DVB-T2 standard into the DTT service in any territorial area, which will allow broadcasts with ultra high definition (UHD) quality to become widespread.

After the incorporation of the high definition standard, which ended in February 2024, this National DTT Plan promotes a new technological evolution that will allow citizens to enjoy broadcasts with the best quality and DTT providers to compete technologically with other platforms or audiovisual services that use other transmission networks, such as satellite or internet television.

Digital terrestrial television broadcasts are already being carried out in most Member States of the European Union with DVB-T2, so that Spain, once the cessation of digital terrestrial television broadcasts in standard definition (SD) has been completed, and that from February 14, 2024 all digital terrestrial television broadcasts are in high definition (HD), it will adopt measures to continue advancing in the incorporation of the new standards.

Regarding the current DTT channels, the new National Technical Plan for DTT maintains the same digital terrestrial television networks (multiple digital) and the territorial disconnections that existed in the previous Technical Plan, so You do not miss any of the DTT channels that currently exist.

In this evolution it will be necessary to initially have a digital multiplex that evolves to DVB-T2 transmission technology, in which TV channels with UHD resolution will be broadcast in simultaneous broadcasts. It has been identified that the manifold RGE2, which currently includes a UHD TV channel, as the most suitable to evolve to DVB-T2 transmission technology from the first phase of the Plan's execution, with the aim of promoting the implementation of this technology, and in particular the adaptation of the TV receiver fleet to be able to receive this new technology.

The process established to implement this technological evolution involves the redistribution in the organization of television channels of state level between the different digital multiples, which means that a part of the capacity of one of the digital multiples is free for a new state level channel, whose license will be put to competition soon, so the offer of DTT channels will be expanded.

Use of frequencies

The digital terrestrial television service will be provided in the frequencies from 470 to 694 MHz (radio channels 21 to 48) and, in accordance with the objective indicated above, this standard establishes that in said frequency band there will be available the same digital terrestrial television networks (digital multiples) and territorial disconnections that existed in the Technical Plan prior to the one approved by this royal decree. Likewise, in this new Technical Plan the offer of currently existing digital terrestrial television channels will be maintained.

This measure guarantees the continuity of all service licenses of television audiovisual communication by terrestrial hertzian waves currently existing and the territorial disconnections of public televisions, and the necessary capacity is reserved to guarantee that all DTT broadcasts will be able to evolve to broadcasts with UHD resolution. The digital terrestrial television service will be provided through eight digital multiplexes for state and regional coverage broadcasts, whose planning of radio channels is included in the technical plan now approved by the royal decree.

Los eight digital multiples (RGE1, RGE2, MPE1, MPE2, MPE3, MPE4, MPE5 and MAUT) provided for in the technical plan that is approved by this royal decree, are the same ones that were already in service with the previous Technical Plan, and the necessary adjustments are made to achieve the previously indicated objectives.

In the case of the Spanish Radio and Television Corporation, the capacity of the digital multiplex is reserved for exploitation by the national coverage public service RGE1 and the half the capacity of the RGE2 digital multiplex. The digital multiple of MAUT auto coverage to each of the autonomous communities in their corresponding territorial area.

En cuanto a los national private broadcasters will use the transmission capacity of the multiple digital state coverage that is necessary to operate the television channels to which their licenses enable them, specifically, they will access the transmission capacity of the digital multiplex MPE1, MPE2, MPE3, MPE4 and MPE5, and to the half the capacity of the RGE2 digital multiplex.

A plan in two phases

The process will be done in two phases. In the first phase, the objective is to promote the implementation of technology and for citizens to regularly begin to receive state-level DTT channels with UHD quality. These UHD channels will broadcast simultaneous content that are already broadcast on other channels, so citizens will not stop receiving any channel or content. Likewise, in this initial phase, the adaptation of the TV receiver fleet will be carried out to receive DVB-T2 transmission technology and UHD quality broadcasts.

When the fleet of digital terrestrial television receivers is sufficiently adapted, the phase 2, which will involve the global implementation of DVB-T2 technology and UHD quality in all DTT services, both at the state, regional and local level.

DVB-T2 receiver park

To guarantee this gradual adaptation of the receiver fleet, the new National Plan sets dates intended to prevent citizens from purchasing equipment that is not adapted to the new technical requirements. Manufacturers of digital terrestrial television receivers must indicate and inform the user clearly and in detail about the capabilities of each receiving device put on the market, including, in particular, the specifications relating to the reception of digital terrestrial television, on the one hand, high definition with DVB-T and H.264/AVC, and on the other hand, ultra high definition with DVB-T2, and H.265/HEVC, as well as the HbbTV version and other additional functionalities.

All digital terrestrial television receiving devices that are placed on the Spanish market from the date of entry into force of the royal decree, in addition to being prepared to tune in to digital terrestrial television broadcasts, must incorporate the tuner for high definition broadcasts under the EN 300 744 (DVB-T) and EN 302 755 (DVB-T2) standards. Regarding interactive services, digital terrestrial television receivers equipped with a screen with a visible diagonal equal to or greater than 61 centimeters (24 inches), which are placed on the Spanish market after twelve months from the entry into force of the royal decree, must have a broadband connection and be compatible with the European standard [ETSI TS 102 796] v1.5.1 (or later) Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV – HbbTV, implementing the specification HbbTV 2.0.2 or later.

Access to the BOE with the new National Technical Plan for Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT).