OREANDA-NEWS. July 13, 2009.  By the end of this month Production Association of TV-Radio Broadcasting & Satellite Communications of the Ministry of Communications & Information Technologies of Azerbaijan is planning to begin broadcasting within framework of the program of switching to digital broadcasting in the country.

The Association says that a program will be broadcasted via digital television in Baku by late July or early August.

“Before the end of 2009 digital television broadcasting will be launched in Ganja,” the Association reports.

Digital television broadcasting will be carried out due to MPEG-4 standard equipment.

According to the International Telecommunication Union’s recommendations, all the countries, including Azerbaijan, should switch fully to digital television broadcasting until 2015.

The relevant program in Azerbaijan consists of three stages (1st stage - 2007-10, 2nd stage - 2011-13, and 3rd stage - 2014-15.

Two broadcasting packages by four channels in each will be put into operation originally in Baku, Ganja and Nakhchivan, and as a whole, only one package will be commissioned around the country. As a result, 60-70% of the population will be covered by digital broadcasting.

An additional package will be introduced at the second stage in order to expand digital broadcasting coverage in Baku, Ganja and Nakhchivan. As a result, three packages will be in operation and two packages throughout the country. After that coverage of the population will increase from 60-70% up to 90%.

Commissioning of three 12 program packages is planned until 2013.

The third stage includes works aimed at improving broadcasting quality due to installation of additional transmitters and obtaining 98% of population coverage.

System of digital television broadcasting was launched in Azerbaijan as a pilot project in Baku on 10 October 2004.