DTTB switch benefits typhoon-prone PH

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is ramping up its efforts in urging consumers to switch from analog to digital TV.

It is expected that by 2023, the country’s television broadcast companies should fully transition to digital TV, a move that paves the way for a higher-quality viewing experience and at a lower operating cost.

However, more than 80 percent of Filipinos still use analog sets.

“If the country fails to migrate fully to digital TV sphere, then we would surely be left behind,” said engineer George Tardio, chief of the National ICT Planning Division.

A team of DICT officials were in Cebu last Thursday to conduct a regional information session about the country’s migration to Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting (DTTB).

More than 150 countries have started or completed the migration to DTTB and the Philippines’ decision to migrate to digital TV is very timely, said the DICT.

Tardio said the country’s direction towards digital TV brings many benefits for TV networks, as well as to consumers.

This includes the emergency warning broadcast for information dissemination to the public, wider choice in TV channels stemming from enhanced spectrum utilization and enhanced quality of signal reception even at weak signal levels.

But, Tardio emphasized that the advantage of a digital TV system in disseminating emergency information, which is necessary for a typhoon-exposed country that endures about 20 major storms each year.

Tardio said the built-in warning system will help in the country’s disaster preparedness, response and recovery initiatives.

The Philippines has adopted Japan’s Integrated Services Digital Broadcast-Terrestrial (ISDB-T) as its standard in the delivery of DTTB in the country.

The DICT said the ISDB-T facilitates the establishment of an Emergency Warning Broadcast System (EWBS), which would allow sending of early warnings for disaster preparedness and disseminate advisories and guidance on evacuation, food provisions, and medical assistance in times of disasters.

The agency aims to deliver digital TV services to more than 14 million households nationwide relying on free-to-air analog TV broadcast once implemented. /