On 8 September, the Finnish Government made a decision to change the periods of validity of the network and programme licences granted for terrestrial television broadcasting. The changes are needed, because Norkring AS, which was granted network licences in November 2015, relinquished its licences and enough time must be reserved for the process of issuing them again.
The overall schedule for the network and programme licence period beginning in 2017 will be postponed by around four months to safeguard the accessibility of communications networks and services in the changed market conditions. The licences to multiplexes B, C and D relinquished by Norkring will be reissued in autumn 2016.
The Government decided to change the terms of the network licences granted to Digita Oy for multiplexes A, B, C, D and H in the UHF band, the licences granted to DNA Oy for multiplexes VHF A, VHF B and VHF C, the licences granted to Elisa Oyj for the regional multiplex in Ostrobothnia, and the licences ending on 9 January 2017 so that the licences will remain valid until 16 May 2017.
The Government decided to change the terms of the network licences granted to Digita Oy for multiplexes A and F in the UHF band, the licences granted to DNA Oy for multiplexes VHF A, VHF B and VHF C, and the licences granted to Elisa Oyj for the regional multiplex in Ostrobothnia that were issued on 12 November 2015 and were to become valid on 10 January 2017, so that the licences will not enter into force before 17 May 2017.
According to the Government decision, the period of validity of all the current programme licences will be extended until 16 May 2017.
