© 2025 News On The Block. All rights reserved.
News on the Block is a trading name of Premier Property Media Ltd.
© 2025 News On The Block. All rights reserved.
News on the Block is a trading name of Premier Property Media Ltd.
Latest industry research suggests that over half of the blocks of flats in the UK are still unprepared for the digital switchover. This could mean that many thousands of leaseholders will be struggling to find a television signal when the analogue signal is switched off in 2012.
The research was carried out by Sky’s Communal Television team. Sky’s specialist team visited 129 blocks, each containing between 4 and 66 separate flats (a total of over 3,000 individual homes), and undertook in-depth physical surveys of the buildings to ascertain their status as regards to digital switchover. The
surveys found that for many properties there is still work to be done. Of those blocks surveyed, 30% need minor work carrying out, such as fitting new filters or boosters, whilst others need to undertake major work, for instance replacing all old cabling or installing a suitable digital transmitter. In fact 19% of the buildings visited need completely new systems.
This research supports fi ndings from Digital UK, the independent, non-profit organisation leading the process of digital TV switchover in the UK, which estimates that a third of flats are unprepared. Discussing the survey results with News on the Block, Pascal Wharton, Head of Sky Communal Solutions, said: “We suspected that not everyone would be ready for digital switchover, but were surprised by some of the results – especially for areas due to go digital in the near future. The majority of communal systems will need some work carried out, such as a change of cabling, especially if the block is over 10 years old. Flats are usually dependent on a communal TV system and it is up to landlords to make the necessary
changes so that residents aren’t faced with a blank screen when switchover occurs’’.