Ofcom has awarded Five a licence to operate a high definition channel on digital terrestrial television when capacity becomes available.
During a tender process launched by the media regulator, Five beat off competition from Channel 4 and Welsh-language broadcaster S4C to be awarded the provisional capacity for a fourth HD slot on Freeview.
Five's proposal is to start simulcasting standard definition and HD programming at peak times by late 2010. It also expects in future to share the HD channel with a fellow broadcaster during the daytime, while also delivering additional HD video on demand services overnight.
In order to begin HD transmissions on DTT in 2010, Five must meet Ofcom's key criteria for eligibility by the deadline of December 31 this year.
Philip Graf, chairman of Ofcom's content board, said: "This gives Channel Five the opportunity to join the other public service broadcasters in providing new services for viewers.
"It means more choice for TV viewers who will be able to watch in high-definition popular programming, free to air through their television aerials."
High definition services on Freeview will roll out across the UK in tandem with digital switchover dates. Services on multiplex B will be moved to other multiplexes, with multiplex B then reconfigured to use the newer DVB-T2 transmission standard and more space-efficient MPEG-4 compression technology for the carriage of, initially, three HD services from the BBC, ITV and Channel 4/S4C. Five has now been provisionally awarded the licence to a fourth slot should capacity become available. Some areas may have access to Freeview HD earlier than the switchover timetable would indicate because Ofcom is in negotiations with the BBC to make "analogue interleaved spectrum" - spaces in the existing frequency plan - available for use by a high definition multiplex.
According to Ofcom, the number of UK households with access to HD services reached the record high of 1.8 million by the close of the first quarter in 2009.
