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All-digital broadcasts ‘unlikely’ by 2020
The conversion of analog radio and TV broadcasts to a digital format throughout the country by 2020 is not feasible, according to the deputy general director of the Viet Nam Post and Telematics Ministry.
Le Van Khuong, who heads the ministry’s digital technology broadcasting group VTC, said residents of remote areas and the poor would be unable to afford the equipment needed to convert to digital TV.
The average price of a digital-to-analog converter is VND3 million ($US170).
Many of them are illegally imported, leading to a loss of revenue for the Government.
"This really is a thorny problem for authorities," Khuong said. "They must build a clearer roadmap to implement digital TV in Viet Nam."
In February, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung approved a radio and TV broadcasting plan, which aims to offer a greater variety of TV and radio services to all residents of the country. Under the plan, 95 per cent of Vietnamese residents would have access to land-based TV services, and AM and FM broadcasting would be transmitted to all corners of the country by 2010.
By 2015, all residents would have access to land-based TV services and all provinces and city centres would have access to cable-TV services.
Under the plan, by 2020 all cable TV networks would be using digital technology.
Most of the households in remote and isolated areas would be provided with equipment to receive radio and television services at reasonable prices.
Le Nam Thang, vice minister of Information and Communications, said the ministry was working on portions of the telecommunications law that focuses on training of human resources for the digital content industry.
He said the law would also address the development of a modern information and communication infrastructure, and creation of a favorable environment for the development of companies producing and trading in digital information content.
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