March 2006
Two years have passed since the launch of digital terrestrial broadcasting, and 80% of households across Japan will be able to watch digital terrestrial broadcasts at home by the end of 2006. In Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games in February, innovative broadcasting techniques of each station, as well as performance of Japanese athletes, are expected to promote propagation of digital terrestrial services. Along with full-fledging digital terrestrial broadcasting, CS broadcasting and IP multicast based on dissemination of broadband are attracting attention as supplementary tools to terminate analogue TV broadcasting in 2011. Besides, the launch of “One Seg” digital terrestrial broadcast service for mobile reception in coming April may significantly affect the propagation of digital terrestrial broadcasting.
Just like Japan, many countries and regions around the world sees a rapid development of digitization triggered by the technological globalization of broadcasting and communications although each country’s conditions are different. Europe is promoting digitization of terrestrial broadcasting with a common goal of termination of analogue broadcasts in 2012. The United States has coordinated several systems in 2005 for the future completion of digital switch-over including resetting a time schedule for feasible introduction and specifying support measures for propagation. China, an Asian giant, has not officially started terrestrial digitization, but new digital services such as HDTV broadcasts using satellite and CATV platforms are implemented under the mixed system of liberalization and regulations. Featuring four themes as backbones, “digital terrestrial broadcasting and termination of analogue services,” “HDTV broadcasts,” “broadband and IPTV,” the authors report how digitization has developed in each area of the world over the past year. In addition to the report, please refer to “NHK Databook – Broadcasting Around the World 2006” which will be published in the end of March.