Given the commitment of the Government and of the industry to digital switchover, we recognise the need to achieve the broadest possible digital take-up within the next few years. We fear, however, this remains a long way short of achieving the Government target of analogue switchoff by 2006-2010. A significant number of current digital subscribers are likely to be 'early adapters' who are more predisposed to make use of new technology. The pace of take-up among the rest of the population is likely to be much slower. For them, the switch to digital is untypically easy and therefore more likely than for many other viewers.
Digital television is at present strongly associated with pay TV in one form or another.
In this context, we believe the proposed new digital TV services can play a positive role and should be supported. The offer of new digital channels which are neither a replication of analogue PSB nor a further extension of pay TV could be a significant attraction to those viewers for whom digital television currently appears to offer nothing that is both new and affordable. We believe, therefore, that the new BBC digital services would encourage more viewers voluntarily to switch to digital platforms within a shorter timescale than they otherwise would. We are aware of the opposition to the proposals already made public by commercial broadcasters such as BSkyB, MTV, Telewest and others. This puzzles us.