DVB-T services launched last week in Colombo, Sri Lanka, making the island nation the first country in South Asia to launch a digital terrestrial television service.
The pilot broadcast is being conducted by satellite pay-TV broadcaster
Dialog TV, and carries nine television channels on a single UHF frequency: the public-service channels Rupavahini, Eye/Nethra and ITN; private broadcasters Derana, Swarnavahini and The Buddhist; and three foreign channels.
In addition to DVB-T, the pilot will trial DVB-H services, too.
Dialog TV CEO Nushad Perera
told Sri Lanka's Daily News "Our platforms will carry high quality content of local and international broadcasters to Sri Lankan homes, vehicles, and handsets via our portfolio of satellite and terrestrial broadcasts".
Select viewers will be involved in the pilot program to test reception across the broadcast area.
Dialog TV views the move to DVB-T and DVB-H as a natural expansion of its DVB-S satellite-based services. "We are a service provider to the media and broadcast industry" Perera stated in a
press release announcing the launch. "Our platforms will carry high quality content of local and international broadcasters to Sri Lankan homes and also vehicles and handsets via our portfolio of satellite and terrestrial broadcast technologies", he added.