Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

At the start of the national digital switchover information and awareness campaign in October 2011, approximately 250,000 households had to make the switch to digital television. These households were solely reliant on the analogue television network, which is switching off in 13 days' time, at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, 24 October. Households that use only pay television platforms, such as Sky or UPC, are not affected by the analogue switch-off. They amount to a little over 1,300,000 households, or 82.1%, according to the latest ComReg quarterly report.

As part of the digital switchover information campaign, Millward Brown Lansdowne has been undertaking regular research on the number of analogue-only households which have yet to make the switch. I informed the Deputy in a reply to a Parliamentary Question on 18 September 2012 that in August 2012 approximately 200,000 homes in the country were still using the analogue television network for their primary television reception. Since then, two further research exercises have taken place. On 2 October I announced encouraging results from a Millward Brown Lansdowne tracking study on the digital television switchover which was carried out between 10 September and 20 September. This research showed that between mid-August and mid-September some 50,000 viewers who were reliant on analogue television network made the switch to digital television, leaving approximately 150,000 still to make the switch. Awareness of the digital switchover has increased by 1% to 94%, with awareness among users who are reliant on analogue - the main target group - even higher at 97%. Awareness that it is happening this month is at 92%, an increase of 10%.

I decided further research was needed to take into account the recent national digital switchover week, which ran from 17 September to 23 September. This research was carried out between 21 September and 3 October. The findings show that the estimated number of households that need to switch in October is 100,000, down from 150,000 at mid-September; there is now 99% awareness among analogue users; and minds are becoming more focused on the actual date, with six in ten people who are aware of the switchover nominating 24 October without being prompted. Further findings are available on www.goingdigital.ie.

The above positive trends in switchover numbers and awareness show that the digital switchover public information campaign, which began in October 2011, is successfully providing information on what is happening, the timeframes involved and the choices available to upgrade to digital. It is assisting people to make the switch to digital. This comprehensive campaign includes advertising on television and local radio stations; an analogue marker to act as a constant reminder to everyone using the analogue service to switch to digital; a dedicated website, www.goingdigital.ie; research; a national telephone helpline; and an information booklet delivered to every household in the country by final week in July.

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