plex ▁A . ▁In ▁the ▁event , ▁they ▁were ▁the ▁only ▁bid der ▁and , ▁after ▁having ▁their ▁business ▁plan ▁approved , ▁were ▁awarded ▁the ▁lic ence ▁to ▁operate ▁Multi plex ▁A ▁by ▁the ▁Independent ▁Television ▁Commission ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 . ▁Before ▁their ▁lic ence ▁became ▁active , ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁the ▁company ▁was ▁changed ▁from ▁S 4 C ▁Digital ▁Network s ▁to ▁SD N . ▁ ▁Upon ▁the ▁activation ▁of ▁the ▁lic ence ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁SD N ▁began ▁broadcast ing ▁Multi plex ▁A ▁in ▁ 6 4 Q AM ▁mode ▁at ▁ 2 4 ▁meg ab its / second ▁( which ▁allows ▁many ▁channels ▁to ▁broadcast , ▁though ▁makes ▁it ▁more ▁difficult ▁to ▁get ▁a ▁good ▁signal ). ▁They ▁r ented ▁out ▁their ▁capacity ▁to ▁various ▁free ▁and ▁subscription ▁channels ▁( though ▁S 4 C ▁did ▁keep ▁their ▁gift ed ▁space ▁in ▁Wales ▁to ▁launch ▁S 4 C 2 ). ▁After ▁the ▁launch ▁of ▁Free view ▁to ▁replace ▁I TV ▁Digital , ▁the ▁free ▁services ▁carried ▁on ▁Multi plex ▁A ▁became ▁effectively ▁part ▁of ▁Free view . ▁As ▁SD N ▁was ▁not ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Free view ▁cons ort ium , ▁they ▁were ▁techn ically ▁not ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁service ▁( though ▁they ▁were ▁available ▁to ▁all ▁Free view ▁view ers ). ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁Top ▁Up ▁TV ▁launched ▁on ▁Multi plex ▁A , ▁though ▁it ▁sub - let ▁its ▁capacity ▁from ▁Five , ▁and ▁not ▁SD N