[Keith]

Ofcom have said that the future of Freeview "remains uncertain" with broadcasters saying the service could become economically unviable.

The BBC have even gone as far as to say the amount of HD channels could be cut

rxtvinfo.com 

As mentioned in RX's article the options are as follows.
1. Investment in a more efficient DTT service – a more efficient, but full DTT service could be an option if audience scale and investment could be sustained over the 2030s.
2. Reducing DTT to a core service – the DTT platform could retain a minimum number of core channels
3. Move towards DTT switch-off in the longer term – a planned campaign to ensure people are confident and connected with internet services, so DTT could be switched off.

The OFCOM report can be found at www.ofcom.org.uk .

I'd hope that in the short to medium term option 1 is chosen, as it's the least disruptive to viewers and maintains Freeview for at least the next decade. Arguably if the government had pulled their finger out several years ago this would have already happened. Migrating multiplexes to DVB-T2 would presumably allow SD channels to close where HD versions already exist, as well as potentially allowing for a few more channels to switch to HD output.

The third option might be more feasible in a decade's time, once more users have Freeview Play or Freely enabled TVs. Even then retaining a multiplex or two for PSB services may still be justifiable, to ensure viewers can still receive information in the event of their internet connection being disrupted.

I believe that the BBC current owns PSB3, and at present have yet to commit to renewing it in 2026. I dare say the future of the licence fee and politics may also be a factor in the BBC holding off making a decision.