3 NBTC digital TV licences set for launch in 2013

The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission intends to grant the first three of its four classes of licences for terrestrial digital TV next year, which are expected to spark total investment of about Bt100 billion by 2016.
The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission intends to grant the first three of its four classes of licences for terrestrial digital TV next year, which are expected to spark total investment of about Bt100 billion by 2016.
Natee Sukonrat, chairman of the NBTC broadcasting committee chairman, said the three licence types in question were for programme transmission, for rental of facilities such as broadcast towers, and for channel operators. The fourth class, for providers of ap-|plication services, will be awarded later.
There will be about 50 terrestrial digital TV channels, all using ultra-high frequency (UHF), of which 10 are expected to be reserved for serving the public and the rest for commercial operation.
He estimated that the granting of the licences would result in massive investment, about Bt100 billion, by 2016, of which about Bt10 billion would be for infrastructure, Bt20 billion for set-top box production, and the rest on bids for licences by would-be channel operators.
Satellite operator Thaicom will have to apply for a network licence but will not need to pay the licence fee, he added. This will make it subject to NBTC regulations.
The annual fee for each of these three classes of licences will not exceed 2 per cent of the holders’ revenue.
The NBTC will put the draft characterising all four classes of licences to a public hearing on June 18.
Next month it will also announce the broadcast standard for the terrestrial digital TV system, but Natee declined to provide details. The watchdog is most likely to select |the European DVB-T2 standard, which is second-generation technology.
Members of the broadcasting committee will fly to South Africa next week to observe its switch from an analogue TV system to digital, using the DVB-T2 platform. Natee said that like Thailand, South Africa was one of the very few countries that had not yet adopted a digital system for terrestrial TV.
Many telecom, media and entertainment companies, from InTouch to Samart, are interested in entering the terrestrial digital TV business and are waiting for the NBTC to complete all the required regulations.
Meanwhile, the broadcasting committee yesterday approved new regulations for importing set-top boxes for satellite and pay-TV services.
The committee yesterday also approved draft regulations for a broadcasting trial for about 7,000 radio stations.
Natee said most of the stations in the trial process were for community radio.
The draft regulation will cover three types: community service, public service and business service. The radio stations will get one-year periods of approval.
NBTC is expected to launch permanent regulations within two years to cover all radio stations fully.
The committee also approved draft regulations for radio technical standards.
It will put the two drafts to a public hearing process in July, and expects the regulations to be effective by August.