Much delayed transition

So why is the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) taking too long to set into motion the advent of digital television in this country?

Is it because the NTC, under its current leadership, is too engrossed with the allocation and reallocation of frequencies to WiFi that it has forgotten that there are other sectors that also need its time and effort?

Efforts to ask the head of NTC, Ruel Canobas, have proven futile because of his sheer lack of transparency as far as the media is concerned. In fact, he is on top of the most hated list of government officials as far as the media people covering the telecommunications beat is concerned because of his refusal to face the press. It seems easier to get an appointment with the President of the Republic than with him.

Just look at Smart Communications’ mobile television offering, which has for a long time been on test broadcast. Why? Because of the absence of NTC rules that will govern the offering of digital tv and mobile TV.

The delay appears to stem from the NTC’s indecisiveness as to what standard of digital transmission will be adopted. Whereas before, the NTC wanted to be technology-neutral, now the commission seems confused because each of the groups that have been lobbying for the adoption of their respective standards all seem to have very convincing arguments going for them.

All over the world, everyone is undergoing transition from analog tv broadcasting to digital. The transition involves not only television stations and over-the-air viewers but also content providers TV networks and cable TV service providers.

In the Philippines, broadcasting company ABS-CBN has applied for a digital television-terrestrial service (DTT) license with the NTC that will switch off its analog broadcast (Channel 2) as early as 2010. ABS-CBN has recently been experimenting the transmission of digital signals on Channel 51.

The Associated Broadcasting Company(ABC-TV5) has also expressed its intention of switching their current analog TV broadcast set-up (DWET TV5). They will use their UHF station Channel 47 for testing digital broadcast.

Earlier, the NTC said it may adopt the European standard DVB-T for terrestrial transmissions. After the shutdown of analog TV (which is scheduled in Dec. 31, 2015 under an earlier issued draft memorandum circular), the European standard for digital will replace the current US standard for analog NTSC.

But a year after or in Nov. 2007, the NTC announced that it will consider other standards for replacing DVB-T after a change of leadership on the government agency.  ISDB-T was already being tested by government-owned TV stations and GEM TV-49 of Iglesia ni Cristo has also made a test broadcast using the same channel in Oct. 2008.

The Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) is pushing the government, particularly the NTC, to release the rules and regulations for digital TV by June 2009.

The Philippines is currently testing multiple DTT standards, and the launching date will start on or before 2010 or until NTC decided which standard will be used nationwide.

According to the Technical Working Group (second team) organized by the NTC, DVB-T is the most preferred standard because of low-cost DTV set-top boxes. But of course, it will be the NTC en banc which will eventually decided on what standard to adopt.

NTC is expected to allocate national broadcasts in UGF channels 14 to 20 and for local networks, channels 21 to 51.

GMA Network is reportedly planning to test broadcast DTV nationwide, to be completed in 2011 or 2012. However, their application to convert their UHF station DWDB-TV for digital broadcast service is still pending for approval from the NTC. Meanwhile, sources say Solar Entertainment also wants to go digital.

But aside from deciding on what standard to adopt, the NTC also has settle the issue soon on whether or not telecommunications companies will be issued digital TV licenses. It will be recalled that Smart’s mobile tv offering has been questioned by the association of cable TV service providers, although the PLDT group has been saying that it is subsidiary Nation Broadcasting Corp. or NBC that has been offering it. There is also talk that Globe Telecom is also considering going into digital tv.

Shifting from analog to digital is no small feat. Smaller broadcasting companies may find it financially difficult given the huge amounts that have to be spent for the transition. In other countries, governments are concerned, not with what standard to adopt, but how to provide financial assistance for the shift. A decision has to be made soon by the NTC to give smaller companies enough time to muster the financial strength needed for this much-needed change.

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