Thai PBS says plans on track
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THAI Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS) has reaffirmed that the third year of its digital terrestrial TV network expansion plan and its initiative to switch off its analog system are right on track despite its management reshuffle.
Kantachai Srisukhon, engineering director at Thai PBS, said the third year of the digital TV network expansion is going ahead as planned and the organisation is committed to achieving coverage of 90 per cent of total households by June next year.
Of the four national providers of terrestrial-based digital TV network service operators, Thai PBS is considered the most active. In the first year of its digital terrestrial TV network expansion plan, it offered its 35 operating broadcasting towers to be used as main sites for all providers.
Early this year, it also completed its second phase with an additional 18 relay towers.
The third year of the expansion plan seems to be more difficult than the previous years as all digital TV network providers have to work with partners such as TOT and CAT Telecom because they have to install digital TV transmitters at telecom sites owned by both TOT and CAT Telecom.
“The problem is that existing facilities at those telecom sites do not appear to support our new equipment. However, both CAT and TOT have agreed to share space at their site so that we can erect new towers for transmission,” he explained.
He said his company’s earmarked budget would suit this additional investment, which could be shared by other digital TV network operators, such as the Army, MCOT and the Public Relations Department.
Meanwhile, Thai PBS is also planning to start switching off its analog broadcasting at three areas – Koh Samui, some districts in Chiang Mai and Roi Et, in several months.
“I would say that the process should be completed on schedule as it will benefit for a whole industry and the public and we hope the new management team continues to support this project,” Kantachai added.
Supinya Klangnarong, a member of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), is concerned about the management reshuffle at Thai PBS.
“I hope the reshuffle will not have any negative effects on the transition to digital TV because Thai PBS, once led by former director-general Somchai Suwanban and his team, was very aggressive and supportive of the NBTC in this policy,” Supinya said.
“We have experience from MCOT and the PRD that internal problems could lead to delays in projects. I hope that Thai PBS will not repeat the same problem,” she said.
The third phase of the digital TV network rollout and analog switch-off process is very important to fully shift the country’s broadcasting backbone to digital terrestrial TV services.
“The faster we turn the analog system off, the more opportunities we gain to initiate new public and community-based digital TV channels, she said.
