Cuba takes first steps to Digital TV

Tuesday, May 12th, 2009

Cuba has created a commission to manage its transition to digital TV transmission. This was announced at a press conference by Armando Pujols and Enrique Santana, representatives of the Instituto Cubano de Radio y Televisión (ICRT) and the Ministerio de la Informática y las Comunicaciones that formed the commission.

Delegates to a Digital TV Forum, which included representatives of the European digital standard (DVB), the Japanese standard (ISDB) with its Brazilian variant (SBTVD), and the Chinese standard (DTMB), were able to compare the specifications, and attend field trials of each to see the performance in the Cuban context.

The selection of the standard is a first step in the implementation of digital television in Cuba, a process that is expected to take about 15 years.