Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones

The Federal Telecommunications Institute Plenary decides to amend the policy of transition to Digital Terrestrial Television, DTT

(TELEVISIÓN DIGITAL TERRESTRE, TDT)

• Decides to adjust the date to conclude the analogue broadcasting of free-to-air television in the cities of Monterrey, Reynosa, Matamoros, Nuevo Laredo and Ciudad Juárez from May 29th of 2014 to November 26th of the current year.
• The resolution is based on the survey results carried out in such cities, which evidence that, currently, the TDT (Televisión Digital Terrestre) has no more than 90% of penetration in the services of broadcasted TV.
• At the same meeting, it was decided to impose fines and declare the forfeiture of the assets involved of two FM radio stations that operated without any permit or concession in the benefit of the nation

On July 31st of 2013, an amendatory ruling of the Policy of Transition to Digital Terrestrial Television DTT (Televisión Digital Terrestre, TDT) was published in the Official Gazette of the Federation (Diario Oficial de la Federación, DOF) which fixes May 29th of 2014 as the date when broadcasted analogue transmissions will conclude in the cities of Monterrey, Nuevo León; Nuevo Laredo, Reynosa an d Matamoros, Tamaulipas, and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua. Mentioned cities were considered as part of the pilot tests of the DTT Policy during the year of 2014.

According to the provisions of the DTT Policy, if one month before the month when the analogue switch-off must be conducted in a certain locality, the level of penetration of 90% of TDT has not been achieved, the date must be adjusted to carry out the conclusion of analogue transmissions in that city.

To this effect, and in order to have reliable information on the DTT adoption in five cities in the northern region of the country where the analogue switch-off was fixed for May 29th of 2014, the Federal Telecommunications Institute (Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones, IFT), through the Radio and Television Systems Office (Unidad de Sistemas de Radio y Televisión, USRTV), hired a company services to obtain information on the type of television received in such localities, in order to be aware about the DTT penetration levels.

On April 28^th, in an extraordinary session, the USRTV submitted a report to the IFT Plenary on the status of DTT penetration in the cities of Monterrey, Ciudad Juárez, Reynosa, Matamoros and Nuevo Laredo, with the following results:

• 8,786 surveys were conducted in these 5 cities
• The homes that have a television set, between 54 and 77 p e r c e n t depend on free-to-air television
• There is no equal penetration of DTT in these 5 cities or higher than 90% in homes that depend on free-to-air-television

Thus, since the condition of not having DTT penetration is equal or higher than 90% in the cities foreseen to carry out the analogue switch-off, the IFT Plenary decided to amend the Ruling whereby the Digital Terrestrial Television technological standard is adopted and the Policy for the Transition to Digital Terrestrial Television in Mexico established, published on June 2nd of 2004, amended, in turn, on May 4th of 2012, April 4th, June 1st and July 31st of 2013.

With this amendment, the date to conclude the analogue transmissions of broadcasted television in the cited five cities of the northern region of the country is adjusted; according to the general calendar set forth for 2014 in the DTT Policy is November 26th of 2014. The foregoing, without prejudice that the Institute may be able to review the dates set forth in the DTT Policy, once the work schedule mentioned by the Seventeenth Transitory Article, subsection IV, of the Decree of Constitutional Reform in telecommunications matters has been informed, considering the performance of pilot tests according to the best international practices.

Conversely, in the session held yesterday, the IFT Plenary was decided to impose several fines and declare the forfeiture in benefit of the nation, of the assets destined to operate two FM radio stations that broadcasted in the cities of Reynosa, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas, Zacatecas that did not have any permit or concession.

As part of the supervision actions conducted by the Institute to survey the radio spectrum, the pertinent proceedings and administrative procedures were conducted, outcome of which was the verification of the absence of concession certificates or permits that would evidence the legal operation of these stations. The IFT conducted the seizure of the assets destined to the operation of radio stations mentioned above, in order to prevent them from continuing their transmissions.

Thus, the IFT Plenary established, based on Articles 101, subsection XXIII, 103, 104 bis and 106 of the Federal Radio and Television Law, to impose penalties and declare the forfeiture of the assets destined to the operation of stations in the following frequencies and localities to the benefit of the Nation:

According to its responsibilities, the IFT will continue to conduct actions of surveillance so that broadcasting in Mexico is provided according to the terms set forth in the Law.