§ Baroness Anelay of St Johnsasked Her Majesty's Government:
What are their plans to increase the strength of the digital terrestrial signal so that the reception is improved. [HL4036]
§ The Minister of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Baroness Blackstone)The Independent Television Commission and the BBC notified the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department of Trade and Industry in February 2002 of their decision to adopt a change in the assumptions used in planning the digital television transmission networks which will permit a significant increase in the strength of transmissions, with adequate safeguards, of course, to protect the quality of the existing analogue signals and the television signals broadcast by neighbouring countries for their domestic consumption. The Radiocommunications Agency will seek to reach agreements with neighbouring administrations for the use of these higher power transmissions where there is a risk of interference with services in other countries. The implementation of plans to increase the strength of digital terrestrial television transmissions is therefore a matter for the broadcasters.