Important step in digital future of the Netherlands

Utrecht, 8 maart 2018 - Ziggo will be digitalizing its complete TV offering. TV in digital quality is already being offered by Ziggo to all its customers, but not everyone takes advantage of that option. By far the biggest part of all customers already watches digital TV. Customers watching analogue cable TV will be switching over to digital in a region-by-region phased rollout during the next two years, assisted by Ziggo. In each region Ziggo will inform customers well in advance when the switch is taking place in that particular area. 

"Over the years a lot has changed in our television landscape. Black and white was replaced by colour TV, aerials disappeared from rooftops. Nowadays, we watch TV on our mobile and tablet in addition to the television screen. We will continue this innovation to be ready for the future. The number of people watching analogue TV has rapidly decreased in recent years, which is why we will discontinue the analogue TV signal. All our customers will be provided with a television signal in digital quality," says Jeroen Hoencamp, CEO at VodafoneZiggo.

The switch will open doors for technologies of the future. "VodafoneZiggo wants to offer customers the best quality and service," says Hoencamp. "Not only do we see ourselves as the driving force of Dutch digitization, but also as the builder of the infrastructure designed to help the Netherlands maintain its digital lead in the future. We want to be able to offer an even more developed 'next generation network' from 2020 onwards, in which mobile and fixed connections are more integrated than ever. Customers will no longer notice their devices switching between fixed internet, Wi-Fi and mobile internet. Being online, always and everywhere, through our network will be even more stable, smarter and faster with internet speeds up to 1 Gigabit per second. And that will be necessary, since data needs in the Netherlands are increasing exponentially."

Phased
Robin Clements, responsible for VodafoneZiggo's customer service:  "By far the majority of our customer base already watches digital TV. We will assist customers still watching analogue cable TV in a step-by-step process to switch over to an entirely digital TV signal in the coming two years. We will do this together, because we want to help our customers and be available to everyone. That is why we will be using additional service points on top of our existing service points during the switchover, and also help customers at home." The switchover to digital cable TV will be rolled out in phases and region by region. In April, Capelle aan den IJssel and other municipalities in that area* will be the first to be entirely equipped with a digital TV signal. Clements: "After the switchover from analogue to digital, these customers will have a number of additional channels, like all the regional channels and Ziggo Sport, our sports channel for Ziggo subscribers, with sports like live Formula 1, Champions League from September, the English and Spanish football competitions and much more."
The switchover to digital TV will not affect subscription costs, these will remain at the level of the customer's current subscription.

Do the switch

In each region, Ziggo will inform its customers well in advance when the switchover will take place in their particular area. Ziggo customers can easily check if they are already using a digital signal, by simply switching over to channel 14 on their television. If they can watch Ziggo Sport there, they have digital TV. If channel 14 is broadcasting something else, they are still watching analogue TV. In that case, customers can find more information about switching over to digital by visiting www.ziggo.nl/schakelmee. When it comes to radio, no changes will take place for the foreseeable future.

*Capelle aan den IJssel and other towns in that area (based on cable infrastructure): Alblasserdam, Bergschenhoek, Capelle aan den IJssel, Moerkapelle, Nieuwerkerk aan den IJssel, Zevenhuizen (ZH)