Here comes the TV bonus, a new public contribution available from December this year. It will be useful for many Italians who in the near future will be forced to change televisions or acquire a new decoder to watch the channels broadcast on digital terrestrial.
1. WHAT IS CHANGING FROM 2020 FOR DIGITAL TERRESTRIAL?
The digital terrestrial signal is about to renew itself. Again. A long transition phase will begin on 2020 January 2022 which will end on XNUMX July XNUMX: in this period the technical transmission method will gradually change throughout Italy (fortunately the deadline has been extended: initially there was talk of concluding the operation by June XNUMX). next year, which would have made the transition much more problematic).
2. WHY IS IT CHANGING AGAIN?
To impose the change is the forced migration of some frequencies to make room for the 5G signal (that of super-fast internet for mobile telephony). If the shift concerned all the frequencies sold in the famous 6,5 billion auction, almost 18 million Italian families, i.e. more than 80%, would no longer see terrestrial channels.
3. WHICH TVS ARE COMPATIBLE WITH THE NEW TECHNOLOGY?
To continue watching television without problems, consumers will have to acquire a device compatible with DVB T2 technology, more advanced than DVB T1 installed on most of the TVs in circulation. In fact, it is only from 2017 January 2 that the electronics distribution networks are obliged to sell Dbt2016 Ready TVs. But even earlier, from 2 July XNUMX, manufacturers had had to adapt by inserting a tuner capable of also receiving DVB-TXNUMX frequencies in the devices.
4. WHICH WILL HAVE PROBLEMS?
It is probable – due to this change – that televisions purchased before the summer of 2016 will no longer be able to receive digital terrestrial channels after the July 2022 deadline.
5. HOW TO CHECK IF YOUR HOME TV IS COMPATIBLE?
To verify the compatibility of your television, a simple check is enough: if the wording DVB-T2 or H265/HEVC is present on the appliance, then there is no problem.
6. WILL I NEED TO BUY THE TV AGAIN OR WILL A DECODER BE ENOUGH?
No one will be forced to change TVs: to solve the problem, just buy a new decoder at a cost of a few tens of euros.
7. TV BONUS: WHAT IS IT?
We come to the TV bonus. To lighten the expense that millions of consumers will be forced to bear, the State will guarantee a contribution of 50 euros per family (but the amount has not yet been confirmed by the Mise), usable only once per household until the end of 2022. the discount will be applied at the checkout, when the television or decoder is purchased, and the merchant will be able to recover it in the form of a tax credit.
8. TV BONUS: WHO HAS THE RIGHT TO IT?
To be entitled to the TV bonus, it will be necessary to purchase a decoder or a TV compatible with the new technology by 2021. An income ceiling is also envisaged: in fact, it will be necessary to return to the first or second band Isee, i.e. having an equivalent economic situation indicator not exceeding 21.265,87 euros.
In practical terms, to benefit from the TV bonus, you will need to show the seller a self-declaration in which you certify that you meet the Isee requirements and that you have not already used the benefit.
9. TV BONUS: HOW MANY FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE?
The Gentiloni government had allocated a fund of 151 million euros for the TV bonus, but it is possible that the Giallorossi executive will decide to increase the budget. Undersecretary Mirella Liuzzi explained that the Ministry of Economic Development aims to request "new funding for the measure to broaden the number of citizens eligible to take advantage of the contribution".
10. DOES SOMETHING CHANGE FOR SATELLITE TV OR INTERNET TV?
It is worth pointing out that all this concerns only the digital terrestrial: for those who are used to watching television via satellite or via the Internet, nothing will change.
