HOUSEHOLDS across South Lakeland could have just three years to ensure that they are able to receive digital TV as plans for the big analogue switchover gather pace, reports Paul Duncan.

Television watchdog Ofcom this week released a timetable, which outlines when the switchover from analogue to digital will occur, and the Border TV region will make the change in 2008, one of the first of the UK's 15 TV regions to do so.

The Granada TV region is timetabled to make the switch a year later, in 2009.

The announcement has prompted anger from MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale Tim Colllins who said that there were still many unanswered questions.

"To guarantee basic services, every home, hotel and guesthouse will have to have a satellite dish installed or pay £50 for a digital set-top-box for every TV set in their property. Who is going to pay for this?" he asked.

He also estimated that even if digital coverage reached the 98.5 per cent coverage of analogue signals, there could still be up to 700 homes in South Lakeland unable to receive digital television.

At present, the four nationally available analogue television services (BBC1, BBC2, ITV1 and Channel 4) can be viewed by 98.5 per cent of UK households, but only 73 per cent of households in the UK are able to receive the services via digital transmission.

Digital signals are currently only transmitted from 80 sites around the country, and the Government hopes that, by adopting all of the 1,154 transmission sites available in the UK, coverage will be increased to the 98.5 per cent of analogue signals.

Mr Collins also believes that the Government is failing to keep the public informed about what they need to do to comply with the switchover.

"What are they going to do, send somebody round door-to door to let peope know individually?" he said.

A spokesman at the Department of Culture Media and Sport said that raising awareness of the issues surrounding digital television among vulnerable groups such as the elderly, was a key issue for the the Government and Switchco, the body charged with implementing the switchover.

The Government has also launched a website to provide people with information about the measures they need to take to ensure that that they are able to receive digital signals.

Factfile...

l SATELLITE: You will need a satellite dish attached to the outside of your home and a digital box connected to your TV. If you live in multi-dwelling accommodation you may be connected to a communal aerial system so a dish will not be required. Check with the landlord.

l TERRESTRIAL: Digital signals can be accessed through a terrestrial aerial. This can be done by connecting analogue TV sets to a digital set top box or by buying an Integrated Digital Television (with built in digital receiver).

l CABLE: Cable services are available by subscription.

l BROADBAND/DSL: Digital services can be received via subscription over a broadband connection line. At present, this service is geographically limited but is expanding rapidly.