The fight to delay online-only TV switch by 10 years

Britain would be dangerously exposed to a devastating Russian cyber attack if digital TV signals are switched off and the UK is left reliant on the internet, national security experts have warned. The National Preparedness Commission (NPC) said the Government could find itself unable to communicate emergency messages to millions of households if plans to turn off the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) network as soon as 2034 are pursued. Arqiva, which transmits digital TV and radio signals from 1,450 UK mast sites, agreed that relying on the internet alone to ensure broadcast transmission and spread vital messages to reassure the population in the event of a crisis was a huge risk. Shorts Until now, resistance to switching off DTT (or Freeview) has centred on the cost of moving to online-only TV for lower-income groups. But the latest warnings suggest a premature switch-off should be considered a national security risk. An independent body set up after Covid to help the UK improve its preparedness for major crises, the NPC’s When The Internet Stops report warns ministers that relying on the internet alone to deliver vital information was a “chronic risk”. It identified Russia – responsible for cyber attacks costing £15bn across Europe, including the UK, over the past year – as the primary threat to subsea cables, which carry more than 99 per cent of the world’s internet traffic. If a major cyber attack caused a “blackout”, broadband routers would fail immediately when electricity supplies are lost, while phone masts typically have back-up power lasting between 30 minutes and six hours, it said. DTT’s “tall tower” masts are the only communications network capable of continuing to broadcast through a long power cut, the report said. The UK’s main TV transmitters can continue broadcasting for about seven days on diesel generators. ‘Significant impact in emergency’ “Many services now rely on the same underlying infrastructure: electricity networks, broadband and mobile connectivity, data centres, cloud providers and subsea cables. When one part of that system fails, the effects can cascade across multiple services. “A resilient communications strategy should therefore maintain a terrestrial broadcast layer that remains available when internet-dependent systems are disrupted,” the report concluded. Vladimir Putin could launch a cyber attack targeting the UK’s critical infrastructure (Photo: Mikhail Metzel/AFP) The report said that in the year to May 2026, more than 200 cyber incidents impacting organisations within the UK’s Critical National Infrastructure and its supporting ecosystem were identified. As well as combating cyber warfare, the UK Government’s risk planning already includes a scenario in which space weather leads to regional power disruptions, loss of global navigation systems such as GPS, and disruption to aviation, the commission said. 2034 switch-off or 2044 In one of the first decisions to be taken by Andy Burnham’s Government, the Department for Media, Culture and Sport (DCMS) is set to choose whether to green light an early 2034 date for switching off DTT (or Freeview), or accept a longer transition period over another decade. The NPC said: “A decision to extend DTT until at least 2044 is the only reasonable choice considering the risk context and resilience value demonstrated throughout this report.” The study also warns that the cost of an early switch-off would fall hardest on rural areas, the devolved nations and communities with the least connectivity and fewer fallback options. Lord Harris of Haringey, the commission’s chairman, said: “The question for Government is much more than how people will watch television in future, but how the country will communicate when internet-based systems fail.” An error message on the online recruitment section of the British Army website following a 2022 reported malicious cyber attack (Photo: Leon Neal/Getty) Retaining DTT until at least 2044 “would preserve a vital, independent route for trusted public information when it is needed most.” Nigel Huddlestone, the shadow culture secretary, said: “It is a fundamental security concern if we lose our emergency broadcasting capability in the event of a cyber attack or internet outage. We cannot risk being so vulnerable in uncertain times.” In the event of an internet blackout, the UK terrestrial broadcast network could still reach approximately 98.5 per cent of households through Freeview, operating independently from subscription-reliant consumer broadband and mobile data networks, Arqiva said. Russia Ukraine invasion warning In a paper for the NPC published in June, Mark Steel, Arqiva’s head of operations, wrote: “Decisions to end the terrestrial TV network should not be taken in the absence of a clear assessment of the implications for national resilience, emergency communications, and public warning and informing. “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has reinforced the central importance of communications infrastructure during crisis while also demonstrating its vulnerability to disruption, interference and attack.” Labour MP Luke Akehurst, who also believes the switch-off should be delayed, said ministers must consider the national resilience issue before pressing ahead with the plan. “Broadband can and does fail,” he said. “In a crisis, terrestrial TV still works and reaches almost every home.” ‘Strong case for digital switch-off’ A Government spokesperson said there was a “strong case for a long-term transition to Internet Protocol TV, but no decisions have been made. “We understand the importance of information access in times of national emergency and this should be retained beyond a move to IPTV. Any future transition would only proceed once we are confident the right safeguards, infrastructure and support are in place.” Concerns have been raised that switching off Freeview will force the elderly and those on fixed incomes to take out costly broadband contracts, raising the cost of watching TV.