Costa Rican Digital TV’s Mixed Commision announced on May 7th that it recommended the country’s Government  to gradually continue with the DTT transition process in the country as of July 14th.

According to the information reported by the Costa Rican Science, Technology and Telecommunications Ministry (MinCiTT), the Mixed Commission recommends that analog TV broadcasts from Cerro Buenavista (Cerro Frío or Cerro de la Muerte) should migrate to DTT no later than July 14th, 2021, which will benefit localities in Quepos, Osa, Parrita, Perez Zeledon, and others, in the South Zone. In addition, and by September 22nd, 2021, the analog blackout must be implemented from Cerro Santa Elena (Monteverde or Cerro Amigos), an initiative that would benefit localities in Abangares, Tilarán, Cañas, Bagaces , Guatuso, Monteverde, Ciudad Quesada, and others, in the North Zone. 

The Mixed Commission also recommended defining a new Region 3 for the analog blackout’s implementation, which will include the rest of the country, featuring the  Parque Nacional Volcan Irazu, the Cerro Buena Vista (Cerro Frio or Cerro de la Muerte) and the Cerro Santa Elena (Monteverde or Amigos), to be held on July 14th, 2022 as deadline, with the aim of ‘making the transition process easier for regional media, as well as training these area’s inhabitants and get their households ready to receive the Japanese-Brazilian ISDB-Tb standard broadcasts, chosen by Costa Rica for the DTT migration. 

‘Implementing the analog blackout gradually, which began on August 14th, 2019,  and included places covered by broadcasts from the Parque Nacional Volcan Irazu, which reaches most of the country’s central area (GAM), is a task that must continue in order to bring more and better services to the population, according to the Plan Nacional de Desarrollo de las Telecomunicaciones 2015-2021’, reported Paola Vega Castillo,  MICITT’s Minister.