In this instance, these bands have been reserved for digital terrestrial TV broadcasting and wireless microphones.

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The new licences, awarded for up to 12 years, are for digital terrestrial TV (DTT).

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Ofcom's planned pilot will use the white spaces that exist between airwaves reserved for digital terrestrial TV broadcasting.

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In Germany where 10% of the population watches digital terrestrial TV, less than 10 cases of interference have been reported.

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This makes it possible to record approximately 12 hours of terrestrial digital TV broadcasts or approximately 8.6 hoursof BS digital TV broadcasts in DR mode (recorded with the image quality exactly as broadcast), or store other long-duration video content, all on a single disc, while preserving the same high-definition image quality of the original.

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Top Up TV, which offers pay channels to Freeview customers through digital terrestrial, should be able to offer Sky Sports 1 and 2 for the first time as a result of the ruling.

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Digital terrestrial is likely to act as a shop window for its pay-TV satellite service and drive more viewers towards BSkyB.

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The process, which will eventually affect all TV viewers in the UK, involves the conversion of the country's terrestrial television system to digital.

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