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| An electronics store in Metro Manila selling LCD/LED television sets that are ready for the Philippines' transition to digital terrestrial television (Image Source: Nikkei Asia) |
After over seven decades, the Philippines is on the verge of cusping towards a new era in local broadcasting and the television viewing experience of millions of Filipino viewing households as the National Telecommunication Commission (NTC) is eyeing to begin the shutdown of analog television by yearend initially in the National Capital Region (NCR) or Mega Manila as part of the country’s migration to digital terrestrial television (DTT). The NTC together with the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) is in discussion with the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) and other stakeholders for the implementation of the initial phase of analog television shutoff in NCR.
As first reported by Malaya Business Insight through a text message from NTC Deputy Commissioner Alvin Blanco, the discussion also includes identifying a target date for the analog shutoff (ASO) in Mega Manila. According to Blanco, “We are looking at NCR/Mega Manila as the initial phase for the ASO, given the fact that there is already a high degree of takeup of DTT reception and/or cable TV subscription of TV households in the area; which means that there are less TV households in Mega Manila that rely on analog TV reception for their TV service." When asked about the target date for implementation, Blanco said: “December 31, 2024 can be considered as the start of the ASO process. Since the ASO will not happen overnight, the entire ASO process can begin on December 31 and end until full ASO which could happen by next year.” Ahead of the impending process, major broadcasting networks have been investing heavily in upgrading their broadcast transmitters and expanding their reach in preparation for the country's transition to digital terrestrial television. And since more Filipino households are watching their favorite programs beyond their television sets, broadcasters have also utliized online streaming platforms to ensure that these programs will be seen anytime and anywhere on various devices.
As part of the preparation, the DICT has tapped Kantar Media Philippines Inc. as the service provider for the procurement of media research for DTT household penetration. The DICT aims to gather current and accurate data on households that have access to digital television in a post-pandemic situation in preparation for the ASO. On October 28, 2024, the DICT has greenlighted Kantar Media through the issuance of a notice to proceed to commence the project with a contract duration of six weeks or 40 calendar days amounting to Php680,000. Based on the DICT’s framework for the Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting (DTTB) migration plan released in October 2017, the ASO in the Philippines was set last December within four to six years starting from the ceremonial digital switch-on held at the Digital TV Summit in February 2017. According to the DTTB migration plan, ASO can be implemented when a certain percentage of the population has already migrated, the proposed percentage of DTTB penetration is 95 percent of the service area. The plan states, “If the percentage of penetration has been achieved earlier than the scheduled ASO date, a certain amount of time shall be scheduled to inform the people that the analog service shall be terminated.”
ASO is the process of shutting down analog terrestrial TV transmission and switching over to a digital TV signal. ASO requires the upgrade of existing TV broadcast network infrastructures as well as changing or augmenting the TV receiver equipment – done either by connecting a digital converter or set-top boxes, or replacing altogether the TV set with an integrated digital TV receiver. The country has adopted Japan’s Integrated Services Digital Terrestrial-Broadcast (ISDB-T) as the country’s sole digital broadcast standard which enables multiple viewing options and innovative features, such as an Emergency Warning Broadcast System (EWBS), that would greatly benefit Filipino households making the transition to digital free TV.
(With words by Myla Iglesias, Malaya Business Insight)
