ITU has developed “The Guidelines for the Transition from Analogue to Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting” which are a major output of ITU’s integrated work towards promoting transition from analogue to digital broadcasting and implementing the decisions of GE 06 Plans.  The original guidelines were prepared specifically for Africa.  The current revision, adapts the original guidelines to more completely meet the needs of the Asia and Pacific Region by incorporating examples, technology options, and regulations relevant to the Region.

The guidelines are intended to provide information and recommendations on policy, regulation, technologies, network planning, customer awareness and business planning for the smooth transition to Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting (DTTB) and the introduction of Mobile Television Broadcasting (MTV). The guidelines will help develop a well defined roadmap for transition covering national goals, strategies and key activities, helping to reach consensus on requirements and solutions, providing a mechanism to help forecast the key milestone and a framework to help plan and coordinate the steps for the transition. In consistent with the approach taken in the transition guideline, the supplement on Migration of Broadcast Archives from analogue to digital intended as basis upon which users can develop a roadmap for the migration of their archives from analogue to digital.

Much of the material contained in these archives may be of significant historical and cultural significance to the countries in which it was created.  The ITU and other UN Agencies have long recognized the importance of preservation of this material and the World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-10) identified assistance to broadcasters in the migration of archives from analogue to digital as a broadcasting development priority.