Transition to digital TV 'will benefit economy'
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THE TRANSITION from analog to digital television should have a positive impact on the economy, a study suggests.
The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission and the Thammasat Institute for Study of International Cooperation jointly conducted the study.
Chanin Mephokee, director of the Economic Research and Training Centre at Thammasat University’s economics faculty, said the study focused on such things as the discount vouchers to purchase digital TV receivers, the operations of the digital transmission networks and the operations of the broadcasters.
Based on a redemption rate of 80 per cent of the 10.9 million digital TV coupons received by millions of households, the researchers estimated that this subsidy scheme generated at least Bt9.4 billion for the electronics market, boosting gross domestic product by 0.039 per cent last year. It is estimated that the digital-TV transmission-network sector comprising the Army, MCOT, the Public Relations Department and Thai Public Broadcasting Service creates Bt1.992 billion in annual revenue.
The combined investment value incurred by these four transmission providers and the 24 terrestrial-based digital channels is expected to rise by 17.16 per cent a year.
