(30 May 2007 6:00 pm)

MUMBAI: The BBC has selected Capita Group as the supplier to UK's first area which is making the digital switchover in October.

Whitehaven, Cumbria, falls first under the Digital Switchover Help Scheme.

Support will be offered to those who are 75 and over, the severely disabled, and those who are registered partially sighted and blind.

The support includes:

A Help Centre located in Whitehaven to provide easy access to information for eligible customers as well as support with any queries and concerns;

The necessary equipment to convert one television set to digital and support with installation, where required;

Follow up support, where required, once switchover has taken place.

BBC Group Finance director Zarin Patel said, "Following a very competitive tendering process, I am pleased to announce that this first Digital Switchover Help Scheme has been awarded to Capita.

"I am confident they will deliver a scheme that ensures the most vulnerable residents of Whitehaven receive the support they need as the switch to digital begins."

This contract will run for 10 months from June 2007 and will cost approximately £1m.

Capita was selected from a shortlist of four companies (BT, Capita, EAGA and Vertex), all of whom are eligible to continue to bid for the national contract to deliver the Help Scheme for the roll-out across the rest of the UK between 2008 and 2012.

The procurement process for selecting the supplier to deliver the UK-wide Help Scheme is ongoing, with the contract expected to be awarded towards the end of 2007.

The scheme will be funded by £600m ring-fenced for this purpose in the Licence Fee settlement.

The process of digital switchover will take place between 2008 and 2012, TV region by TV region. The exception is Whitehaven, Cumbria, which becomes the first place to switch in October 2007.

Switchover is a complicated process, and needs to be done in stages so that everyone in the country will be ready for it.