DICT Digital TV Summit and Launch of the Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting (DTTB) Migration Plan

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On 14-15 February 2017, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) will launch the Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting (DTTB) Migration Plan in a 2-day Digital TV Summit to be held at Novotel Manila Araneta Center Cubao, Quezon City.

The Event

The first day of the Digital TV Summit is dedicated for the launching of the DTTB Migration Plan and the Ceremonial Digital TV Switch On. Partners from the broadcast industry are expected to grace the event to express their support and commitment in the comprehensive national implementation of the DTTB Migration Plan.

Moreover, exhibitors from different segments of the broadcast sectors (production, manufacturing, and content) will showcase emerging trends in Digital TV to educate the public on the latest Digital TV technology available in the market.

On the second day of the summit, experts from local and international broadcast firms will exchange best practices and knowledge regarding the current trends in the production, transmission, policy, and regulations that concern the transition from analog to Digital TV.

The Plan

The DICT’s DTTB Migration Plan consists of comprehensive policies and regulations as well as technical and fiscal considerations necessary for the Philippine’s migration to digital TV broadcasting.

The implementation of the DTTB Migration Plan will ensure smooth transition from analog to digital that will later on lead to a complete Analog Switch Off (ASO). This shall be done through partnership with National Government Agencies such as National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) for implementation and regulation, Department of Finance (DOF) for funding, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) for giving incentives to small scale broadcasters, Department of Environment and National Resources (DENR) for e-waste management, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) for economic impact, and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for financial subsidy in purchasing digital set top boxes.

A better Philippines in terms of broadcasting can only be achieved when there is collaboration among the government, its stakeholders, civil organizations, and private industries.

The Switch

The switch to digital transmission is foreseen to not only pave the way for a better TV viewing experience for the Filipinos but also for a more efficient and richer information dissemination for a well prepared Philippines in times of calamities. It has an Emergency Warning Broadcast System (EWBS) feature that allows the system to send early warnings for disaster preparedness and disseminate advisories and guidance on evacuation, food provisions, and medical assistance in times of disasters.

Sec. Rodolfo Salalima of DICT said that migrating to digital from analog will free very high frequencies (VHF) that can be maximized for future broadband deployment for interrnet.

Moreover, the switch to DTTB will foster a competitive environment for the broadcasters to offer new services through datacasting and Broadcast Markup Language (BML).

For the DICT, the Analog Switch Off is a milestone in digitalizing the Philippines.

Photos from Newsbytes and Computerworld respectively

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