Uruguay Analog Switch-Off: VHF TV Ends Nationwide Under Decree 217/026
Uruguay Analog Switch-Off Completed: VHF Television Ends Nationwide (Except Bella Unión) as the Country Moves to ISDB-T Digital Terrestrial Television
Uruguay has reached the final stage of its transition to Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT). On September 24, 2026, the Unidad Reguladora de Servicios de Comunicaciones (URSEC) confirmed that analog television broadcasts in the VHF band would cease nationwide on September 25, 2026, in accordance with Decree No. 217/026. The only exception is the city of Bella Unión, in the department of Artigas, where analog transmission will remain temporarily in place until commercial digital coverage is available.
With this step, the Uruguay analog switch-off closes a process that began in 2012 and consolidates ISDB-T as the country's sole standard for free-to-air terrestrial television.
Regulatory Background: A Transition More Than a Decade in the Making
Uruguay adopted the Japanese-Brazilian ISDB-T standard for digital terrestrial television and launched free-to-air digital broadcasting in 2012. The original framework, Decree No. 153/012, set the analog switch-off for November 21, 2015, to coincide with World Television Day. That deadline was postponed, and analog VHF broadcasts continued for roughly another decade while digital coverage expanded across the country.
Since Decree No. 143/013 (May 9, 2013), the Laboratorio Tecnológico del Uruguay (LATU) has been responsible for homologating digital terrestrial television receivers, specifically for compliance with the ISDB-T standard. According to the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mining (MIEM), between March 2014 and September 15, 2026, LATU homologated 3,611,828 units across 1,759 different brands and models of televisions and external decoders.
The Government had previously signalled that the switch-off would take place after the end of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
What Decree No. 217/026 Establishes
Decree No. 217/026, signed by President Yamandú Orsi and Minister of Industry, Energy and Mining Fernanda Cardona, was published in Uruguay's Diario Oficial on September 15, 2026. Its key provisions are:
Definitive analog cessation. Analog television broadcasting in the VHF band ends throughout the national territory at 23:59 on the tenth day following publication — i.e., September 25, 2026. From that moment, public and private operators transmit exclusively in digital mode.
Mandatory on-screen notice. From the day after publication until three days after the cessation date, every licensee still transmitting an analog VHF signal had to display a permanent, clearly visible on-screen notice informing viewers that the analog signal would stop and directing them to the digital channel.
Termination of VHF authorizations. Once each commercial television licensee ceases analog broadcasting, its corresponding authorization and VHF frequency assignment are terminated.
Bella Unión exception. Because the city lacks commercial digital TV coverage, the cessation obligation is suspended in Bella Unión until commercial digital signal availability is verified, with URSEC consulted on that verification. The exception is capped: analog broadcasting there must end no later than July 31, 2029.
Monitoring. URSEC, in coordination with the National Directorate of Telecommunications and Audiovisual Communication Services (DINATEL) of MIEM, is tasked with monitoring the switch-off process.
Analog transmissions effectively ended at midnight on September 26, 2026, when Uruguay's open-air channels went digital-only.
Certification Impact Summary for the Uruguay Analog Switch-Off
Decree No. 217/026 does not introduce new technical standards or a new conformity assessment procedure. Its impact on certification is indirect but significant: with analog VHF reception no longer available outside Bella Unión, ISDB-T capability becomes the only path to free-to-air TV reception in Uruguay.
Area | Status after September 25, 2026 | Practical impact |
Broadcasting standard | ISDB-T only (nationwide, except Bella Unión) | Analog NTSC/PAL-N VHF reception loses relevance in the Uruguayan market |
Receiver homologation | LATU homologation for ISDB-T receivers (Decree No. 143/013) remains in force | TVs and set-top boxes marketed for free-to-air reception should hold LATU ISDB-T homologation |
New technical rules | None introduced by Decree No. 217/026 | Existing homologations remain valid; no re-certification triggered by the decree |
Analog-only TVs | Cannot receive open broadcast signals without an external ISDB-T decoder | Demand shifts to integrated ISDB-T TVs and homologated converter boxes |
VHF spectrum | Analog VHF authorizations and frequency assignments terminate on cessation | Future reallocation of the band has not been announced |
Bella Unión | Analog transmission continues until digital coverage is verified (max. July 31, 2029) | Limited, temporary residual analog market in one locality |
What This Means for Manufacturers
TV and set-top box manufacturers. Any television or decoder intended for free-to-air reception in Uruguay must support ISDB-T. Products relying on analog tuners alone no longer offer usable terrestrial reception in almost the entire country. Manufacturers should confirm that their Uruguayan product portfolio is covered by valid LATU ISDB-T homologation and that the correct models are listed.
Importers and distributors. Inventory of analog-only receivers has lost its market value for terrestrial reception. Importers should review stock, prioritise homologated ISDB-T models and homologated external decoders, and align product labelling and point-of-sale information with the digital-only reality.
Broadcast equipment suppliers. With VHF analog authorizations ending, broadcasters' remaining investment focuses on digital transmission infrastructure. Suppliers of ISDB-T transmitters and related equipment should follow URSEC's coverage verification work, particularly in Bella Unión, where commercial digital deployment is still pending.
Global brands with regional portfolios. Uruguay's move aligns it with other South American ISDB-T markets that are completing their own transitions. Harmonising ISDB-T receiver designs across these markets reduces certification effort, although each country's national homologation requirements still apply separately.
Timeline of the Uruguay Analog Switch-Off
Date | Milestone |
2012 | Free-to-air digital terrestrial television launched in Uruguay; Decree No. 153/012 sets the original switch-off for November 21, 2015 |
May 9, 2013 | Decree No. 143/013 designates LATU as the homologation body for ISDB-T receivers |
March 2014 | LATU begins homologating digital TV receivers |
November 21, 2015 | Original switch-off date postponed |
September 15, 2026 | Decree No. 217/026 published in the Diario Oficial; mandatory on-screen notices begin the following day |
September 24, 2026 | URSEC confirms the switch-off date |
September 25, 2026 | Analog VHF broadcasting ends nationwide (except Bella Unión); VHF authorizations terminate as each licensee ceases analog emission |
September 28, 2026 | End of the mandatory on-screen notice period (three days after cessation) |
July 31, 2029 | Final deadline for analog switch-off in Bella Unión |
Required Actions
For manufacturers and importers
Confirm that all TV and set-top box models sold in Uruguay hold valid LATU ISDB-T homologation.
Withdraw or reposition analog-only receivers; where analog models remain in stock, bundle or promote homologated ISDB-T converter boxes.
Update product documentation, packaging and retail information to reflect that free-to-air reception in Uruguay is digital-only.
Monitor MIEM and URSEC communications for any further measures on the use of the freed VHF spectrum.
For broadcasters and licensees
Ensure analog VHF transmitters are switched off and that digital service is operating in line with the licensee's authorization.
In Bella Unión, prepare for digital deployment ahead of the July 31, 2029 deadline and follow URSEC's coverage verification.
For distributors and retailers
Inform customers that any TV can receive digital broadcasts if it has an integrated ISDB-T tuner or is connected to a homologated external decoder.
Conclusion
The Uruguay analog switch-off marks the end of nearly seven decades of analog television and more than ten years of postponements. Under Decree No. 217/026, ISDB-T is now the only free-to-air terrestrial standard across the country, with Bella Unión as a temporary, time-limited exception. For manufacturers, the decree does not create new certification requirements, but it makes LATU ISDB-T homologation the essential condition for any receiver targeting Uruguay's free-to-air TV market.
