The process of switchover from analogue to digital television broadcasting has been successfully completed in a total of seven digital regions representing 16 Croatian counties. On 21 July 2010, 854 172 out of a total of 1 477 377 Croatian households, that is 58 %, are successfully digitalised, as a result of the digital switchover policy of the Government.

The implementation of the Strategy is entrusted to a team of institutions: the Central State Administrative Office for e-Croatia, the Ministry of Culture, the Croatian Post and Electronic Communications Agency, the Agency for Electronic Media, a Croatian network operator and the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure. Furthermore, the Government has nominated the Central State Administrative Office for e-Croatia as the coordinator of all activities of this strategy, including that of awareness rising campaign.

The switch from analogue to digital television broadcasting constitutes a complex work, particularly since it is a project of the Croatian Government of a life span of several years. It encompasses the following activities:

• Planning of the implementation;
• Supervision and application of the digital television system;
• Financing;
• Informing the public;
• Distributing vouchers, and
• Purchasing digital receivers.

Results have shown that the institutions involved in the implementation of this national project have the required readiness and effectiveness.

''The digital switchover is progressing well and in accordance with the strategy for transfer from analogue to digital broadcasting of television programmes, which foresees the beginning of broadcasting of the digital television signal on the entire territory of the Republic of Croatia by 1 January 2011. Having in mind the current pace of this process, there is no doubt that Croatia in just a few months will be among the countries which have switched to digital broadcasting'', stated Igor Lučić, the State Secretary of the Central State Administrative Office for e-Croatia.

Further Information:

• Original news article - e-Croatia
• Related ePractice news article - HR: Second region switches to digital TV
• Related ePractice news article - HR: Successful implementation of switchover to digital television
• Related ePractice news article - HR: More than half of the Croatian households enjoy the benefits of digital TV