The UK will not meet its aim of being the first country in Europe to reach full digital switchover, according to a report published today.
Research from Datamonitor predicts that the government will not reach its target of turning off analogue TV signals between 2006 - 2010, and is likely to be beaten in doing so by Portugal or a Scandinavian country.
"It will be very challenging to switch off analogue in the UK by 2010," Datamonitor analyst Chris Tant told BBC News Online.
Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Portugal all have a "better balance" between the three digital platforms -- cable, satellite and terrestrial -- he added. In the UK, 6.3 million currently have Sky (digital satellite), 2.1 million cable and 1.3 million Freeview (digital terrestrial), representing 40% of households.
The firm expects 18 million households to be receiving television digitally by 2007, however, a point at which it anticipates Freeview will be catching up with Sky numberwise.
The collapse of ITV Digital has set back digital takeup by a year, Datamonitor claims, but the government still insists it is on track.
"Switching off analogue terrestrial transmission could start as early as 2006 and be completed by 2010," said a spokeswoman for the Department of Trade and Industry. "Although it is a challenging timeframe, we believe that through the Digital Television Action Plan and a successful partnership between government and stakeholders the UK will meet the criteria for switchover."
Research from Datamonitor predicts that the government will not reach its target of turning off analogue TV signals between 2006 - 2010, and is likely to be beaten in doing so by Portugal or a Scandinavian country.
"It will be very challenging to switch off analogue in the UK by 2010," Datamonitor analyst Chris Tant told BBC News Online.
Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Portugal all have a "better balance" between the three digital platforms -- cable, satellite and terrestrial -- he added. In the UK, 6.3 million currently have Sky (digital satellite), 2.1 million cable and 1.3 million Freeview (digital terrestrial), representing 40% of households.
The firm expects 18 million households to be receiving television digitally by 2007, however, a point at which it anticipates Freeview will be catching up with Sky numberwise.
The collapse of ITV Digital has set back digital takeup by a year, Datamonitor claims, but the government still insists it is on track.
"Switching off analogue terrestrial transmission could start as early as 2006 and be completed by 2010," said a spokeswoman for the Department of Trade and Industry. "Although it is a challenging timeframe, we believe that through the Digital Television Action Plan and a successful partnership between government and stakeholders the UK will meet the criteria for switchover."
