Manila Times: NTC to reallocate frequencies

It seems NTC will reallocate the UHF Channels 14-20 for the launching of digital TV broadcast. Remember those channels are still used for bank communications. It was proposed earlier that those channels, whenever they're allocated for DTV, will be used by the national broadcasters for the use of Single Frequency Network, where one channel is being used throughout the whole country (compared to what we've been using for analog TV which is the Multiple Frequency Network).

Also, the UHF band for TV is proposed to be at Channels 14-51, which is far different from those allocations defined in the KBP standards for analog TV broadcasting of Channels 14-62. Read the post after the article.

THE National Telecommunications Commission plans to reallocate frequencies assigned to fixed and mobile service for digital terrestrial TV use in preparation for the country’s migration away from the analog platform. 

In a text message, Carlo Jose Martinez, NTC deputy commissioner, said the technical working group is still discussing the use of Channels 14 to 20 (470 to 512 megahertz) for digital TV. 

At present, the said channels are assigned to fixed/mobile service. 

According to Martinez, the technical working group is looking into the need to compensate those who will be affected and their eventual migration to another frequency. 

The NTC may also consider the ultra high frequency TV Channels 14 to 51 (470 to 698 Mhz) for allocation to digital TV broadcast service. 

The agency is reviewing which digital TV platform is better for the country: Japan’s Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting-Terrestrial (ISDB-T) or Europe’s Digital Video Broadcasting-Second Generation Terrestrial (DVB-T2). 

Last year, the regulator issued an order adopting Japanese ISDB-T as the standard. But some broadcasting companies requested for another look at Europe’s DVB-T2. 

In a document obtained by this reporter, the NTC said that Europe’s DVB-T2 is “technically better, [but] commercially it’s a different story.” 

The NTC said the current price of DVB-T2 set top boxes is 58 percent higher than the $45 price tag on the unit required by Japan’s ISDB-T. 

The regulator said the adoption of the European standard would mean another long delay. 

The NTC expects to issue the implementing rules and regulations for digital TV next month.

The country had planned to migrate from analog to digital TV come 2015. 

Free-TV or non-cable households comprise 90 percent of the total 17 million in the country. - Darwin G. Amolejar, dated 14 June 2011

Source: Manila Times