Next phase of NBTC voucher scheme may cover satellite set-top boxes
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THE National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission is expected to consider allowing households for the second round of voucher distribution to choose a satellite-TV set-top box.
“Even though some network operators plan to expand their coverage, we are worrying that some households might not be able to view the digital TV channels. So letting them use the coupons to buy a satellite set-top box will give people another alternative,” Takorn Tantasith, secretary-general of the NBTC, said yesterday.
Some recipients live in locations outside the range of terrestrial digital TV networks, he said.
Currently, the Bt690 vouchers can be used to buy only a digital TV set-top box or a television set with built-in digital capability.
In the first phase of the subsidy scheme, vouchers will be given away tomorrow to 4.64 million households in 21 provinces, but there have been complaints that digital networks reach only 80 per cent of those provinces’ area.
In the second phase, vouchers will be sent to 12.4 million households after March next year.
The NBTC had been planning to give households three purchase options – digital TV set-top box, digital TV set or satellite/cable TV set-top box, before dropping the last one.
Altogether 42 digital set-top box vendors have joined the voucher scheme. Households can start using the vouchers on October 20 at modern trade and retail stores nationwide.
