Analogue Switch-Off date brought forward

The Culture Ministry in Estonia has brought forward the ASO by two years according to Broadband TV News.
After reviewing the digital transition in other countries a quick and painless switch-off is preferred for Estonia.
The new ASO date of February 2010 will be reviewed in 2009 to see how the market has responded to DTT.
At present only pay DTT, TV services are available and these have not been as popular as expected by the provider ZUUMtv which only has 6,500 subscribers. Independent sales of set top boxes have yet to start and to encourage more services the Culture Ministry has offered to exempt Estonia’s two leading commercial broadcasters TV3 and Kanal 2 from paying the 2009 annual licence fee if they launch DTT services by March 1st, 2008.
They are also likely to have their licences, which are up for renewal in 2009, extended automatically until 2015 if they switch off analogue broadcasts in 2010.
Source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 4th December 2007