Survey on digital television access of nearly 137,000 poor and near-poor households

On December 27, 2011, the Government issued Decision 2451 approving the “Project on digitization of terrestrial television transmission and broadcasting by 2020”. The project aims to convert terrestrial television transmission and broadcasting infrastructure from analog technology to digital technology in a modern and efficient manner.

Digitalization of terrestrial television brings many benefits to television viewers, such as high quality of images, sound, and increased number of television channels. On the government side, when digitalizing television, a part of the frequency band currently used by terrestrial television will be freed up. This is an important resource for deploying broadband radio information services.

The meeting was chaired by Comrade Le Minh Thong - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee with the participation of representatives of leaders of 22 districts, cities, towns and departments in the province. Photo: Thanh Chung

According to the project, Nghe An must officially stop broadcasting all analog TV channels to switch to digital broadcasting from 0:00 on December 31, 2018.

The cessation of analogue terrestrial television broadcasting will affect households using analogue television antennas. According to calculations, Nghe An has 456 communes affected by the cessation of analogue broadcasting, with 56,406 poor households and 80,246 near-poor households.

To ensure that 100% of households with television receivers receive digital television by various methods, of which digital terrestrial television accounts for 45% of television methods according to the project's objectives, the State will support each poor and near-poor household with 1 digital terrestrial or satellite television receiver with a suitable receiving antenna and connecting cables that are fully installed and warranted for at least 12 months from the date the household receives the digital television receiver.

To implement the project, Nghe An province has issued many documents, disseminated information to the people about the project; proactively dissolved and reorganized 15 television rebroadcast stations in remote areas; supported 2,000 poor and near-poor households to invest in satellite television in affected districts.

Digital terrestrial television. Illustration: Internet

Currently, the workload in Nghe An as required by the project is very large. The things that need to be done are: Develop a detailed plan to organize and implement the digitalization project in Nghe An province; survey the TV viewing methods of 56,406 poor households, 80,246 near-poor households (households with televisions, using analog technology that has not been digitized, not using cable TV, satellite TV, or the internet are supported); disseminate the content and activities of the digitalization project in the province; invest in the construction of digital terrestrial TV stations; hand over and install digital TV receivers in the province for poor households and near-poor households that are eligible to receive...

Concluding the meeting, comrade Le Minh Thong stated: The project needs to be implemented well to serve the people. In the immediate future, the Department of Information and Communications needs to refer to the methods of localities that have successfully implemented it to develop a detailed plan. Districts, cities and towns in the province need to establish a steering committee to implement the project and conduct a survey on the TV viewing methods of 56,406 poor households and 80,246 near-poor households./.