Thailand Adopts DVB-T2

Following various meetings, seminars and trials, Thailand officially confirmed the adoption of DVB-T2 as its digital terrestiral television standard on May 24th, 2012. The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) is expecting the system to be up and running within this year.

As part of the “Go Digital Thailand” project, the Cabinet approved the NBTC’s proposal to use DVB-T2 as the system for digital TV broadcasting in Thailand on 20 May 2012. NBTC member Col. Natee Sukonrat said DVB-T2 offerhe best transmission efficiency. It is currently used in 38 countries worldwide, including countries in Europe and ASEAN. 

Col. Natee confirmed that the NBTC would make sure that the digital TV project would not affect or cause difficulties for viewers in over 20 million households. All existing TV channels, now broadcasted via the analog system, will be gradually transferred to the digital system, which is expected to become functional within this year with around 50 more free channels.

Under the 2012-16 roadmap, the local broadcasting industry is set to be fully digital. Niwatthamrong Bunsongphaisan, a Prime Minister’s Office minister, said the government fully supports the NBTC broadcasting policy and the use of DVB-T2, as the existing six free TV channels may not be adequate in the digital era.

The NBTC’s spectrum draft plan says the digital switch-over will begin within four years and completely change 80% of households in major cities to the digital system within five years. The switch-over of all households to digital TV is expected to take ten years.

The NBTC has also started making plans for the procurement of affordable DVB-T2 set-top boxes. 

Sources:   National News Bureau of Thailand   Broadband TV News   Nationmultimedia   Picture (Supinya Klangnarong)