Agcom, the communications authority, has proposed to the Ministry of Economic Development to bring forward the definitive switch-off in Italy: turning off analog by the end of 2011 instead of 2012, the deadline set by the European Community.
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Agcom is acting as the spokesperson for a request submitted to the Ministry of Economic Development, asking for a rework of the switch-off calendar: why wait until 2012 to turn off the analog signal, when it’s highly probable that everything can be completed by 2011?
By the numbers, currently, 2012 would see the transition from analog to digital for Tuscany and Umbria, along with the provinces of La Spezia and Viterbo. These territories, according to Agicom, could easily be incorporated into the switch-off operations much earlier: as early as the second half of 2011.
If this were to actually happen, Italy would become the first European country to fully complete the digitalization process; a leadership that seems to have driven this proposal to advance the switch-off schedule in Italy.
This would entail an acceleration in the procedures for auctioning off frequencies to be freed up, thus bringing fresh capital into state coffers, which – according to an initial estimate – could generate at least 2.5 billion euros. However, to achieve this, the regulations stipulate that auctions can only be opened once the switch-off process is completely finished.
This, therefore, explains the desire to reorganize the calendar, bringing forward the initially planned timelines.
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