YEREVAN. - Digital television will become mandatory in Armenia starting from 1 January 2016. The bill on corresponding amendments to the Law on Television and Radio was introduced in the Armenian parliament on Thursday by Artur Araqelyan, First Deputy Minister of Transport and Communication.

The six-month postponement was caused by discussions on state procurement of digital decoders, which will be distributed among socially vulnerable families. Their quantity and quality dimensions are currently being discussed.

According to Araqelyan, the reason of the postponement was not the condition of the rebroadcasting network, which the Armenian government has already prepared for digitalization. “We have ensured practically 100 per cent coverage of the digital television in the republic. The decoders make it possible to get the digital signal anywhere in the country,” Araqelyan said.