Freeview warning for 2.6 million UK households who could lose access to BBC and ITV
Around 2.6 million UK households could lose access to channels like the BBC under new potential rules.
The government is considering scrapping aerial-based Freeview in favour of internet-delivered TV, meaning households still relying on digital terrestrial television will be forced to make the switch.
If this were to happen, these UK households would need broadband and a compatible TV or streaming device to continue being able to watch the likes of ITV1 and BBC One.
New telecoms minister Ian Murray indicated that this could happen in the future during his first official ministerial speech on September 9.
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Speaking at the Connected Britain conference in London, Murray - who was previously the Secretary of State for Scotland under Keir Starmer's government - said there is a 'very strong case' for moving the UK's TV from aerials to internet.
“As set out in our Green Paper, there is a very strong case for a long-term transition to Internet Protocol Television (IPTV),” he told the crowd.
He went on to say that 'no one should be left behind', adding that any transition would only happen with the 'right safeguards, infrastructure and support in place'.
"But this is an exciting time, it could be the key catalyst for modernising our digital infrastructure, making sure everyone is digitally connected and online, and making the UK the most advanced connected country in the world," Murray added.
In his speech, published by the Department for Digital, Culture Media and Sport, he outlined a number of key principles and explained how the government would be taking action going forward.
These included delivering 'connectivity where it's needed' and keeping the 'UK market competitive, sustainable and affordable', as well as 'building secure and resilient networks'.
Murray's comments are a clear indication of the new government's stance on television broadcasting.
The government's latest Media Green Paper says that digital terrestrial television (DTT), which Freeview runs on, is now becoming increasingly expensive to sustain.
However, the Green Paper committed to keeping DTT running until December 2034 at the very least, as this is when the current broadcasting licenses expire.
After this, a managed withdrawal of DTT could occur or a time-limited extension of the service to 2044.
According to Everyone TV, around 2.6 million UK homes reply on DTT because they either cannot access IPTV or have no broadband.
And a further 9.7 million households have Freeview on their main TV set, yet 73 percent of these homes also use streaming services.
Danni King