The Electrotechnical Association of Slovenia, a sister society of IEEE ComSoc and IEEE Communication Society Chapter of Slovenia are organizing the International Symposium on telecommunications VITEL 2010 on 21st and 22nd October 2010 in Brdo Congress Centre.
Background
Most of the region’s countries have plans for analogue switch-off. The aim of the symposium is to cover the digital switchover situation in Slovenia and in the neighbouring countries including the South East European region. Some countries are well advanced in the switchover process whereas other may still be in the planning phase.
The analogue switch-off shall release spectrum, which can be used for broadcasting or broadband ICT services especially in for rural areas, which will lead to diminishing the digital divide. Development of the regional strategy for the use of the spectrum and its trans-national coordination is a challenge which is important for the successful use of the digital dividend in the region.
Some EU countries have already awarded digital dividend spectrum but the coordination with bordering countries seems to be still an open issue, relating to the different geographical circumstances defined by the size of the country and the length of the border. On top of that, the decision on the use of that part of the spectrum, whether for broadcasting or wireless broadband access, should be agreed on a cross-border basis.
Public awareness campaigns are one of the key factors in a successful switchover from analogue to digital terrestrial television. The audience tends to be fragmented between different broadcasting platforms i.e. cable, satellite, IPTV and terrestrial. Sharing the experience of those who are well on the way towards the digital terrestrial transmission of television programmes could be helpful to their colleagues in the region.
New transmission and coding standards are emerging, namely DVB-T2 is a promising technology for those countries trying to offer new services (HDTV) or for those who are late in implementing digital television networks. The situation in the region is rather fragmented and thus harmonising the technology and usage of common standards is an important factor in increasing quality and availability of digital TV infrastructures in the particular country and the region.
Symposium goals
The symposium aims to initiate the professional discussion on the switchover process as well as on technical and transition plans of the countries in the region. The objective is to present the situation of the DVB-T markets in different countries, to share the experiences and lessons learned while maintaining or planning the switchover.
People with experience in the digital switchover process, DVB-T expertise and digital dividend planning are welcome to share with the audience the latest current status on implementing the digital terrestrial television networks. The potential topics of this symposium include, but are not limited to:
Target groups
Managers and experts of:
- Broadcasting, fixed and mobile network operators
- Manufacturers and suppliers of radio communication equipment
And representatives of:
- Regulatory bodies and public administration
- R&D educational institutions
- International radio communication organisations & institutions
