Half of UK homes 'now ready for switchover'

[BGonaSTICK]

Half of all UK households are now ready for digital switchover, according to the latest joint tracking survey conducted by media regulator Ofcom and switchover coordinating body Digital UK.

The survey of more than 2,400 households found that 50% of homes had either bought integrated digital TVs or had their analogue sets converted for digital reception.

The Ofcom/Digital UK Tracker survey also found a steady increase in public awareness and understanding of switchover, which begins in Whitehaven, Cumbria in October and then rolls out across the entire country, finishing in 2012.

National awareness of switchover is now running at 87%, the highest level recorded to date, while 66% of respondents understood how to prepare for switchover, up 25% year-on-year.

In June, Ofcom's digital television progress report said that digital TV penetration stood at 80.5%. For the first time, Ofcom reported that more than half (51%) of all TV sets in the UK were now digital.