Freeview launches free digital television

A new free digital television service called Freeview has been launched in Britain, offering around 30 channels to viewers with a set-top box and an ordinary aerial.

The service went on air on 30 October, replacing ITV Digital, the pay television service that collapsed earlier this year after losing more than £1 billion.

No subscription

Unlike ITV Digital, Freeview does not charge a subscription. Viewers need only buy a digital receiver, which costs around £100, and plug it into their television. The receivers pick up the signal through the same rooftop aerial used for the five traditional channels.

Channels available include BBC One and Two, ITV, Channel 4 and Five, along with new BBC channels such as BBC Three, BBC Four, CBeebies and BBC News 24, and a number of commercial channels. There are also digital radio stations and interactive services.

Who is behind it?

Freeview is run by a consortium made up of the BBC, the transmission company Crown Castle and the satellite broadcaster BSkyB. The BBC has played the leading role and is funding much of the service through the licence fee.

The group took over the licences after ITV Digital, owned by Carlton and Granada, went into administration in the spring. ITV Digital had struggled with poor reception, piracy and the huge cost of football rights, and hundreds of thousands of customers were left with boxes that no longer received pay channels.

The switch to digital

The government wants every home in Britain to move from analogue to digital television, and has said it hopes to switch off the analogue signal within the next decade. Digital broadcasting uses the airwaves more efficiently, freeing up space for other uses.

Until now, most people who wanted more channels have had to pay for satellite or cable television. Freeview offers an alternative for those who do not want to pay a monthly fee, and could help persuade millions more homes to go digital.

Early doubts

Some critics say the service offers too few channels to attract viewers, and that reception may be patchy in parts of the country. Supporters point out that the boxes are cheap and there is nothing more to pay.

The BBC says it is confident the service will be a success, and hopes that the simple offer of free extra channels will prove popular with viewers across the country.