Mexico's Digital TV switch-off will not be done by deadline

The analog blackout will not be fully effective in Mexico by end-year as scheduled, despite repeated assurances by the ministry of communications (SCT) that this would be the case.

Given the speed at which the switch-off has been carried out so far and the many delays it has run into, it "looks hard" for the government to fulfill its deadline, senator Gerardo Flores said during the MVNO Industry Summit Latam 2015 in Mexico City.

"I don't think that they will be able to ensure that most of the Mexican population is ready to receive digital TV," the senator said.

In order to proceed to switch off the analogue signal in any given Mexican city or state, it is necessary for digital TV sets to reach 90% penetration. Once thatis achieved, the SCT must file a report with watchdog IFT, which then turns on the digital signal in the area.

The initial schedule established that the northern states would have all transitioned to digital TV by December 2014, but that was later delayed. To date there have been three official switch-offs in several cities in Baja California, Chihuahua and Tamaulipas states.

Senator Flores said these types of delays are not unusual when undertaking projects of such magnitude, and that the SCT would be wise to have a plan B.

"SCT could announce what the situation is in December 2015 and draft a temporary schedule outlining its priorities," he added.

The government is adamant that the current schedule will be fulfilled. Deputy communications minister Mónica Aspe assured earlier this year that the switch-off will be completed by the deadline.

Aspe also said that, despite recent budget cuts, the SCT has 19bn pesos (US$1.23bn) devoted to the analog blackout. The ministry expects to hold a tender for a TV distribution concession by June.