Lithuania, Markets and Companies, Technology, Telecomunications

Vilnius TV tower.

In February the same year, a digital terrestrial television (DVB-T) transmitter was installed on the Vilnius TV Tower. It was the first device of such a kind introduced not only in Lithuania but also in the three Baltic region states (Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia), informs LETA/ELTA.

Initially, the digital terrestrial television signals were available only to those inhabitants living in the region of Vilnius. To be more precise, they could view LNK and LTV programs shown on Channel 53. In 2006, the three DVB-T transmitters were launched at the Vilnius TV Tower and one year later they started to be used in Kaunas, Klaipėda, Panevėžys and Šiauliai.

Currently, via the 61 DVB-T transmitter the digital terrestrial television signals are transmitted by the Telecenter from the thirty-two broadcasting stations located in urban areas. Most TV programs broadcasted at a national level are duplicated, i.e., they are transmitted both in analogue and digital formats.

"Digital terrestrial television is not a new phenomenon in Lithuania as for several years we enjoy an opportunity to see it and a very large part of the population does not miss the chance to embrace it. In addition, people will not even notice any difference after switching off all analogue terrestrial television transmitters on the 29th of October", says Gediminas Stirbys, Director General of Telecenter.

According to him, Telecenter implements the most advanced communication technologies, therefore now not only standard definition (SD) but also high-definition (HD) and even three-dimensional (3D) digital television programs (if such were created and broadcasted in Lithuania) can be transmitted through terrestrial networks.

Foreign HD TV programs are transmitted in Lithuania for several years already; however, the very first Lithuanian HD TV program was designed and then transferred through Telecenter's network straight to the audience only last year on December 31. Such a program was the final show of the LNK dance project "I invite you to dance".

Telecentre is the Lithuanian company with deepest and broadest experience in the sphere of radio and television transmission. Today it operates two digital terrestrial TV networks via which TV programs are available to more than 90 percent of the Lithuanian population. By winning the right to use the additional radio frequencies for terrestrial systems, Lithuanian Radio and Television Center is planning to install another one network.