The unwanted experience of having to climb to your roof just to fix the antenna of your television sets may soon be a thing of the past.
In a recent “Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas” forum last November 19, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) said it is eyeing the full shut off of analog television broadcasting in parts of Laguna province, as well as other areas in Calabarzon, by 2025.
NTC Calabarzon Regional Director Rolando San Luis said that while the NTC is eyeing for the analog switch-off (ASO) or the complete shut-off of the analog signal for television sets by the end of 2024, the guidelines have yet to be released.
Once the guidelines are out, the public will be given an additional 60 days from its publication to prepare for the shutdown of analog television.
The transition to digital terrestrial television broadcasting (DTTB) will cover Metro Manila, as well as “suburb areas” in Laguna, Cavite and Rizal provinces.
“The NTC announced the [analog] shut down by end of the year, but the specific memorandum circular or the guidelines are not yet released. Since it’s already November and if the memorandum is released by December, we will still have full 60 days to be able to use our analog TV or regular TV,” San Luis added.
The official acknowledged that households which cannot afford a smart television set or “digital box” would not have access to digital television channels from their regular television sets.
As of February 2024, at least 18 percent of TV households in the Mega Manila area still depend on analog TV, which uses outside antenna receivers, compared to the 82 percent who have already shifted to digital television, which utilize “digi-boxes” and smart televisions that can be connected to the Internet.
The government, however, is considering the possibility of granting subsidies to vulnerable sectors that are incapable of switching to digital television.
“In the vulnerable areas or those with no capability [to purchase], we are requesting the DILG (Department of Interior and Local Government) to submit to us the known [vulnerable] areas to receive vouchers,” San Luis said.
(With report from the Philippine Information Agency)
#WeTakeAStand #OpinYon #OpinYonNews #NTC #DILG #DTTB