28 February 2007
Consumers will soon be able to watch a number of BBC channels via a satellite dish and a set-top box following the introduction of its new Freesat service, due to coincide with the roll out of digital TV in the UK.
The BBC's governing body, the BBC trust, has said that Freesat will provide an alternative to Freeview - which figures from Ofcom suggest cannot be received by 27% of the UK population - and promises that the service will be always be "subscription free".
It added that Freesat would provide value-for-money programming with "a wide range of other services", as well as offering another way for consumers to receive digital radio and television.
Acting chairman of the BBC, Chitra Bharucha, said that it was important for the corporation to provide another way for consumers to experience digital TV so that the industry didn't become dominated by commercial rivals.
"It needs to be clear [that] digital TV does not need to equal 'pay TV', " MS Bharucha added.
There was also a need for the set-top boxes and satellite dishes to be "future-proofed" to ensure that the new technology does not become swiftly outdated. The ability for the service to handle high-definition (HDTV) broadcasts was also considered to be important by the trust.
A 28-day review process is now underway to finalise proposals being put forward by the BBC before the service can officially be given the go-ahead.
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