DVB-T2 to be introduced in Sri Lanka

The Digital Video Broadcasting’s DVB-T2 digital terrestrial broadcasting standard will be introduced to all television channels in Sri Lanka by the year 2015 said Secretary to the Ministry Mass Media W B Ganegala. Speaking to Lankapuvath, the Secretary said that the DVB-T2 system is already used in Europe while the Committee appointed to look into the eligibility of its use in Sri Lanka has confirmed that it could be used for local TV channels.    The Committee is to get the permission of the Sri Lankan Government to the report on implementing the system in the country he said. It would take at least 5 years to introduce the DVB-T2 technology to Sri Lanka while the Ministry aims at implementing it in several phases and under the first phase the system will be introduced to the Western Province mentioned the Secretary. Further he said that by the year 2015 all TV stations in the island will function with the DVB-T2 system. At present channels in Sri Lanka are broadcasted using the analogue system and with the DVB-T2 system broadcasting would be made more productive and efficient stated Secretary Ganegala. The system will also reduce the cost on TV stations he added.   Sri Lanka began pilot trials using DVB-T in 2008 and adopted the system in August 2009. However following the development of the DVB-T2 system, which has 50% more capacity using the same channel bandwidth, it now intends to switch to DVB-T2. The trend towards DVB-T2 is increasing especially in countries where Digital TV is still to be introduced. This is because the additional capacity DVB-T2 provides is much greater than with any other current DTT system and it can be implemented at much the same cost as for DVB-T.   Main source: Lankapuvath National News Agency of Sri Lanka