Greece will start the switchover to a fully digital signal for television on July 20, when the analog signal of nationally broadcast television stations currently transmitted from Mount Hymettus in Attica will stop, the digital provider Digea announced. Areas served by the Hymettus transmitter include all of Athens and the Attica basin, the Mesogia areas of east Attica, the western shores of the Cyclades islands and the southern shores of Evia.
Based on a 2012 ministerial decision, after July 20 the Hymettus transmitter will only transmit the digital signal of all private and state-run channels broadcast nationwide, with the exception of the state channels ET1, NET and ET3 for which the switchover has been postponed until after the 2012 Olympics on August 17.
In addition to the Hymettus transmitter centre, Attica is also served by a centre on the island of Aegina that also broadcasts the digital signal of state TV channels, private channels and local television channels and serves mainly the southern areas of Attica, as well as a transmitter centre on Mount Parnitha that will continue to transmit the analog signal for all channels since it is not one of the 23 locations included in the first phase of the switchover.
The Hymettus centre serves an estimated 120,000-150,000 households that will not have the alternative option of receiving an analog signal once the switchover occurs, while recent laws have also given regional television stations the option of broadcasting a digital signal from Hymettus.