TV set for fresh upheaval with web switch
Television viewers who have only just navigated the transition from analogue to digital television are set for fresh upheaval after a Lords committee recommended that all broadcasts should be transmitted via the internet.
Intended to free Britain’s crowded airwaves for mobile phone usage the move is being supported in light of an ‘overwhelming’ case – including being able to transmit an unlimited volume of content at minimal cost.
Britain currently plays host to 26m TV owning households, all of whom now receive digital transmissions following a switchover last year.
However if the ambition to convert them all to web TV is to be realised a huge upgrade of the broadband network will be needed to cope with the bandwidth requirements of streaming high definition video.
Committee chair Lord Inglewood branded the current set up ‘wasteful’, explaining: "People will perhaps feel fed up, but going from analogue to digital may not be the whole journey. Now we are finding we may go from digital to internet."
The call to action comes amidst increasing industry action to embrace the internet with BT, Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin Media all offering video on demand as well as conventional broadcasts.