NBTC gears up for digital-TV channel trial run

The watchdog has also set the schedule to award the first 10 licences for operating digital-TV service specifically for the public this year, through the so-called beauty-contest licensing method. 

NBTC broadcasting committee chairman Natee Sukonrat said yesterday that of the total, six channels in the trial would be the standard digital-TV format and the rest would be high-definition digital-TV format.

The six channels are Channel 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, and Thai Public Broadcasting Service. All will also take turns to launch two HD digital-TV format channels in this trial.

But the watchdog still needs to decide which of the global standards – European, Chinese or Japanese – it will use in the trial to select the compatible set-top boxes to receive the digital signals, he added.

The watchdog has yet to finalise how to provide the set-top boxes to viewers for the trial and the coverage area of the test run.

Natee said the industry would certainly see the granting of licences this year for operating digital-TV service specifically for the public. 

He said 10 licences would be available this year via the beauty contest – which means those making the most feasible proposals will get the licences. All digital-TV licences will feature the same term of 15 years.

The NBTC broadcasting committee has approved the 2012-16 road map for moving the broadcasting industry into the full digital broadcasting era. 

It has set up a subcommittee to proceed with the digital-switchover plan. The committee comprises five members of the NBTC broadcasting committee and representatives from the six TV channels.

A representative of the Public Relations Department, which operates Channel 11, said yesterday that the department had budgeted Bt500 million this year to begin upgrading the channel to full digital capability, plus Bt600 million for next year and Bt700 million for 2014.

The NBTC looked at the drafts of the spectrum-management, telecom and broadcasting master plans last Friday. The spectrum-plan draft says the watchdog will start the digital switchover within four years and completely switch over 80 per cent of the households in major cities to the digital-TV system within five years. 

Natee once said he expected that the complete switchover of all households to the digital-TV era would take 10 years.