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Ministry publishes digital draft plan
A draft plan to digitalise radio and television broadcasts at a cost of roughly VND4,4 trillion (US$231.2 million) has been published by the Ministry of Information and Communications.
Once the period for expert comment expired, the revised plan would be submitted for approval, the ministry said.
The ministry estimated digital TV would be available nationwide by 2020.
Developing the digital television market would involve the participation of eight enterprises, said deputy director of the ministry's broadcasting department Nguyen Phong Nha.
The plan would be implemented gradually and would depend on a locality's socio-economic development and television broadcast situations.
The localities will be divided into four groups, Nha said.
The first group include Ha Noi, HCM, Hai Phong, Da Nang and Can Tho cities, which will get digital TV channels by next year and still keep their present television channels.
By the end of 2014, all channels in these cities will be digital.
The second group include cities and provinces of Vinh Phuc, Bac Ninh, Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Quang Ninh, Thai Nguyen, Binh Duong, Dong Nai, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Khanh Hoa, Long An, Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Vinh Long, Dong Thap, An Giang, Kien Giang, Hau Giang and Thua Thien-Hue.
In these areas, digital TV broadcast will begin in 2013 and be widely available by 2016.
The third group, with cities and provinces of Thai Binh, Ha Nam, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh, Bac Giang, Phu Tho, Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan, Binh Phuoc, Tay Ninh, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Tra Vinh, Soc Trang, Bac Lieu and Ca Mau, will go digital between 2015-18.
The rest will be digitalised between 2017-20.
Key targets will be to assist people to buy digital television equipment, investigate methods of using television and improve knowledge about digital television channels.
The expected funds required – VND1.3 trillion – will come from the State public telecommunications services fund.
Setting up local digital TV will be controlled by licensed agencies.
The department said there were 47 licensed cable TV service providers nationwide who had 2 million subscribers, 20 times more than in 2003.
The number of channels offered by cable TV providers had doubled since 2003, with each offering an average of 45-50 channels, the department said.
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