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Sooner or later, believe it or not, we can all watch public television—and more—with our mobile phones. Now, who in this country does not have a mobile phone, right?

That is one of the direct benefits to the public from the start-up program of the Aquino (Part II) administration to switch the country from analog broadcast (i.e. radio waves) to digital broadcast (i.e. computer data).

The administration had already officially elected the Japanese standard (known as ISDB-T system) over the European standard (or DVB-T2) in the digitalization program.

The choice of standard is vital in the program, because it is widely accepted that the Japanese standard is more affordable to the end users – meaning, the television viewers.

As we reported earlier (Breaktime, Nov. 8, 2011), the Aquino (Part II) administration was taking its sweet time in deciding when this country should start the program for “digital” broadcast –-for both radio and TV.

At that time, more than two years ago, the National Telecommunications Commission, or the NTC, already had a draft of the implementing rules of the program using the Japanese standard, but it seemed then that Malacañang was still undecided.

Our leader Benigno Simeon (a.k.a. BS) still wanted the broadcast industry, particularly television networks, to change their mind in choosing the Japanese standard, as he apparently favored the European standard for whatever mysterious reason.

In fact, at that time, Malacañang even had to call the top executives of the television networks to a meeting with BS himself, so they could personally listen to him tell them that their choice was wrong.

To think, the digitalization program was already delayed by six years at that time.

During his official state visit to Japan last year, our leader, BS, reportedly indicated – or even “promised” – to Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that the Philippines would decide to choose the Japanese standard. Thus, the NTC issued a circular two months ago, stating officially that the broadcast digitalization would adopt the Japanese standard.

That seems to be good news to the local mobile telephone companies that seem to have been raking it in by the tens of billions of pesos for the past couple of decades.

The switch to digital broadcast means, at least to mobile firms Smart and Globe, some additional services that they can sell to millions of cellphone-addicted subscribers.

Free television (i.e. no extra cost such as the programs on cable and direct satellite discs) gets more than 90 percent of television viewers in this country.

It so happens that the shift to digital broadcasting also entails costs to some 15 million or so free television viewers here. To receive the digital broadcast, they also need the rather expensive digital television sets – “smart TV” and such.

Or they can also install digital STB (or set top box) to enable their analog TV sets to receive digital broadcast, which may also cost more than P1,300 each.

The truth is the STB may still be a costly proposition to many viewers.

Enter the Japanese system: for one, it has a built-in mobile transmission facility –meaning that mobile devices like the cell phone can receive the broadcast signals.

In its studies, the NTC noted that the country had more than 100 million cellphone users who also had digital-ready handsets.

Precisely because of its mobile transmission facility, the Japanese system can make digital broadcast more affordable to many.

The switch to digital broadcast – and the adoption of the Japanese system – has more important implications to the public. Our cellphones can become an alert device for earthquake, tsunami and typhoons.

As it turned out, the Japanese standard has a built-in “early warning system” because the Japanese designers purposely built it into the standard as a reaction to the strong earthquake in Kobe in the 1990s.

The decision of Japanese scientists and engineers to incorporate the “alert” system was proven right during the Fukushima earthquake some 20 years later.

In April 2011, when a 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck Japan, the people immediately received early warnings on their TV sets and mobile gadgets (including cell phones) with TV receivers.

The general alert gave them just enough time to shut off LPG tanks and take precautions by hiding under tables.

Some 10 minutes before the deadly tsunami struck, the people had also received early warnings, giving them time to move to safer grounds.

Do you think the Japanese standard is suitable for the Philippines? You bet. We have more than 100 million cell phones in this country, which can be the surest and fastest device to receive calamity warnings from authorities.

I mean, by choosing the Japanese standard in the broadcast digitalization, it is as if we also install an instant national warning system. All of us can just read the red alerts from authorities on our cell phones.

And we all know that more and even stronger typhoons are coming our way in the future. We need all the help we can get – including the alerts on our cell phones.