Today, January 1, marks the start of the so-called “analogue blackout”, when the transmission of the analogue over-the-air television signal will cease, giving way to its exclusive transmission by the digital television system.
This measure will be implemented first in Asunción, the Central department and some districts of Cordillera, Paraguarí, Presidente Hayes and Ñeembucú. Its application in the rest of the country will follow a special schedule from Conatel to complete the process throughout the national territory in 2029.
“All channels in the Metropolitan Area have been broadcasting simultaneously in analog and digital television signals for years, and within this process the shutdown had to come in order to switch entirely to the digital signal in January 2025,” explained Alberto Ishibashi, Planning and Development Manager of Conatel, in an interview with Paraguay TV.
This applies to over-the-air signals. The vast majority of televisions already have a digital signal, through decoders or via satellite, he explained.
Main changes from the analogue blackout
The change will apply to television sets that still receive the television signal via antenna, which will be able to access the new signals through an antenna to receive signals from the UFH band. Ishibashi explained that digital television uses a different frequency spectrum, above channel 14 on over-the-air television, so this adjustment is necessary.
However, these televisions will not be able to access the high definition signal, or have more than one program on the same channel, or other functionalities specific to the digital signal, he clarified.
Paraguay TV, the first digital signal in the country
In 2010, Paraguay adopted the Brazilian-Japanese ISDBT system for digital television transmission. The state channel, Paraguay TV, was the first to adopt this transmission signal through channel 15.1. Later, private sector channels joined this new transmission.
Where will the analogue switch-off take place?
As of this morning, all analogue over-the-air signals have ceased to operate in Asunción and the entire Central department.
The analogue blackout has also been applied in the towns of Altos, Arroyos and Esteros, Atyra, Caacupé, Emboscada, Loma Grande, Nueva Colombia, First of March, San Bernardino, San José Obrero and Tobatí, in the department of Cordillerá.
In Paraguarí, it will be applied in the districts of Carapeguá, Pirayú, Roque González and Yaguarón. In Ñeembucú, it will be applied in the district of Villa Oliva, and in Presidente Hayes in the districts of Benjamín Aceval, José Falcón, Nanawa and Villa Hayes.
The analogue blackout schedule will continue in Alto Paraná and Itapúa, where the analog switch-on (the obligation to transmit simultaneously by analog and digital means) came into operation in September and December of this year to complete the shutdown of the analog signal in the same months of 2026.
