The Future of Freeview: Protecting UK Terrestrial TV in a Digital Age

This episode explores the hidden threat to digital terrestrial television (Freeview), a vital, free, and universal service for 98.5% of the UK. With licences expiring in 2034, there's a significant debate about switching off Freeview and transitioning to internet-only streaming. We discuss why this could severely impact vulnerable communities, including the elderly, those in rural areas, and low-income households, who rely on Freeview due to unreliable or unaffordable broadband. The episode advocates for a hybrid model that combines terrestrial TV and streaming, ensuring universal access and national resilience.

Key Takeaways:

• Freeview (Digital Terrestrial Television - DTT) is a universal, free service for 98.5% of the UK, vital for millions without reliable or affordable broadband.
• It faces a potential switch-off by 2034, with some advocating for an online-only future when licences expire.
• Moving to internet-only TV could disproportionately affect vulnerable people (older, rural, low-income, disabled) and incur significant costs for viewers and taxpayers.
• DTT offers reliability, a crucial fallback during broadband outages, and helps combat loneliness and isolation.
• A hybrid TV model, combining terrestrial and streaming, is widely supported to ensure universal access, resilience, and avoid widening the "digital divide".

Important Definitions and Concepts:

• Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) / Freeview: Free-to-air TV channels accessed via an aerial, without monthly subscription costs.
• Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) / Streaming: TV content delivered over the internet, requiring high-speed broadband and often paid subscriptions.
• Digital Divide: The gap in access to high-speed internet and digital services, affecting those due to geographical, economic, or age-related factors.

Source: Future of Terrestrial Television
Volume 772: debated on Thursday 4 September 2025

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No outside chatter: source material only taken from Hansard and the Parliament UK website.

Contains Parliamentary information repurposed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0....