Digital TV gets financial boost from EU

"We are carrying out a project with support so we can expect at least a share of EUR 2 billion. The Prime Minister decided that the EU funds will be used in 100%. Thanks to this the service will cover 24 million citizens," said TVP president Andrzej Urbański. To begin with TVP, Polkomtel and PR will invest EUR 200-250 million from their own funds. These will cover expenditures on technology  and the first few hundred thousand decoders that will be delivered to recipients before the Olympic Games in Beijing. This concerns decoders of a new generation, which will also ensure access to the Internet and telephone with gratuitous connections included in the subscription fee. The consortium will distribute decoders for free and cover the costs with monthly subscriptions. The relevant agreement was already signed, while execution of the project should begin in H1 2008 and according to an optimistic scenario it should breakeven when households receive one million decoders, which is potentially by the end of 2008. (Puls Biznesu, pp. 1, 5) M.M.