Digital TV is coming to Southwark

Southwark Council has begun the process of converting its properties to digital TV.

Work on the project will commence this autumn, when the council begins talking to tenant forums, and tenants and residents’ associations about a timeline for the process.

More than 32,000 Southwark Council properties will be converted to digital TV as part of the government’s commitment to achieving digital switchover between 2008 and 2012. London is the last region to be converted in early 2012.

The TV upgrade involves replacing some parts of existing communal systems with equipment that can work with digital television signals. Giuseppe Cioa, leading on the switch over for the council, said: “This autumn we'll visit tenant forums, and tenants and residents’ association meetings to explain what the changes mean for them, and we'll be acquiring a contractor to carry out the work.”

While the majority of private householders already receive TV broadcasts in a digital format, many council tenants currently only receive television reception through communal aerials.

The conversion to digital will result in a much wider range of TV viewing options as well as offer the potential for local and community programming.

Councillor Humphreys, executive member for housing, said: "As one of the biggest social landlords in the UK, the digital switchover is a huge project for the council, but we are confident that we can achieve this within the government’s timeframe. We are also confident that we can provide a solution that offers the greatest cost benefit, with least cost impact on tenants, and the maximum viewing choices."

Digital switchover is the process of switching all terrestrial TV services delivered through an aerial from analogue format to digital format.

Visit the Digital UK website for more information.