THE NATIONAL Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has completed a series of hearings in line with freeing up frequencies for the country’s shift from analog to digital terrestrial television broadcasting.
This involves the reallocation of 470 to 512 Megahertz band, or channels 14 to 20, from radio trunking to broadcast, NTC Deputy Commissioner Edgardo Cabarios said in an interview.
Cabarios said the plan was to free up channels for broadcast companies to use. These frequencies, however, are still held by existing assignees, Cabarios said.
“We’re having ongoing discussions with them,” he added.
The reallocation was in line with Republic Act 3846, Republic Act 7925 and its implementing rules and regulations, and Executive Order 546 Series 1979.
The NTC, in a draft memorandum circular, said the move would benefit consumers since digital television would provide sharper and clearer video and audio quality.
“Whereas many of the existing analog television stations operating on low VHF band channels are susceptible to local electrical interference, particularly in highly urbanized cities, digital TV broadcasts will transmit on higher channels, making reception interference less likely to occur,” it said in the still unsigned memorandum circular.
“In the interest of the service, the NTC hereby reallocates the band 470-512 Mhz for the use of digital terrestrial television broadcasting service and shall form part of the National Frequency Allocation Table,” the circular showed.
Cabarios said the timing of the signing would depend on when discussions with stakeholders would be completed.
The Philippines earlier chose the Japanese standard, or Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting (ISDB) platform over its European counterpart, saying it was cheaper and it would allow a built-in warning system to inform people about natural calamities.
The NTC had said the shift was in line migration plan that would see the complete “shut-off” of the analog system in three to five years, or by 2020.Miguel R. Camus