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THE
National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has allowed
broadcasting firms to extend pilot tests on their
digital television, whether through terrestrial or
handheld service, until March this year amid protests
from a group of cable TV providers.
NTC commissioner Ruel Canobas, in an
interview yesterday, said that since there is no final
draft yet on the rules governing the service the
commission allowed these firms to continue with their
demo test until March 8, 2008.
“The rules for mobile TV are
interrelated with digital TV. The technical working
group [TWG] is still finalizing the draft rules. In the
meantime, I have signed the papers extending their
permits until March 8,” he said.
The TWG will recommend to the commission
en banc which technology standard will be adopted for
digital TV-Terrestrial/Handheld (DT-T/H) service. The
members of the group will also assess the socio-economic
impact during the migration from analog to digital.
Japanese and American experts in DTT
technology recently flew into the country to conduct a
demo broadcast of their respective technology platforms
for the NTC.
America’s Advanced Television Systems
Committee and
Japan’s
Integrated Services Digital Broadcast are among the two
technology standards that are being considered by the
NTC to jumpstart the transmission of digital television
service in the country.
The other technology platform also being
considered is the Digital Video Broadcast Handheld or
DVB-H of Europe.
To facilitate the entry of digital TV
services in the country, Canobas said there is a need to
adopt a specific standard and provide the corresponding
guidelines for the delivery of digital terrestrial and
handheld services. After the rules are promulgated, the
NTC will issue permanent permits authorizing a
broadcasting firm to offer DT-T/H service.
The NTC has issued temporary permits to
the following companies:
GV Broadcasting Systems Inc., ABS-CBN
Broadcasting Corp., GMA Network Inc., Associated
Broadcasting Corp. (ABC), National Broadcasting Corp.
(NBC), and Christian Era Broadcasting.
NBC and GV are both units of MediaQuest
Holdings Inc., the investment vehicle of the PLDT
Beneficial Trust Fund.
NTC records show that GV’s demo permit
allows it to test broadcast the service limited to Ayala
Avenue in Makati City.
GV was allowed to use the 638-644
Megahertz (MHz) frequency bandwidth 24 hours a day to
test the service on Channel 42.
Previously, GV was also given a
temporary DT-TH permit to test the service in Aklan
under Channel 33; Batangas City, Channel 41; Puerto
Princesa City, Channel 30; Baguio City; Channel 36;
Cagayan de Oro City, Channel 30;
Davao City,
Channel 24; Cebu City, Channel 40.
NBC, meanwhile, was allowed to use the
560-566 MHz frequency band under Channel 29. Its
coverage was limited to Cebu and Davao cities.
ABS-CBN was assigned channels 51 and 50
to test broadcast DT-T in San Fernando, Pampanga and San
Miguel, Bulacan. The permit allowed temporary use
692-698 MHz and 686-692 MHz.
ABC is using Channel 47, with a
frequency range of 668-674 MHz, to test broadcast
Digital Video Broadcast Handheld (DVB-H) system in
Manila
and in the cities of Makati and Quezon.
GMA is test broadcasting DT-TH on
548-552 MHz Channel 27 in Quezon City.
Christian Era. was also permitted to
test DT-T on Channels 48 and 49 for limited network
coverage in Quezon City, Pampanga and Bulacan.
Prior to the extension, the demo permits
expired last December 11, 2007.
Under NTC rules, the broadcasting firms
can still go on with their tests provided their
applications are filed with the NTC before their
temporary permits expire.
The NTC also received new applications
from Horizon Broadcasting Co. Inc. and Byers
Communications Inc. to operate a digital TV service.
Horizon wants to offer digital TV in the
cities of Angeles, Batangas, Bacolod, Davao, Baguio and
Cebu. Byers, meanwhile, plans to offer the service in
Bacolod
and Cebu.
All Asia Broadcast Systems Inc. also
filed an application seeking a permit from the NTC to
operate digital mobile TV broadcasting system.
Canobas said in the interview that final
draft rules on DT-T/H service could be issued within the
month. A possible option is to classify mobile TV
service as value-added service (VAS) so that
broadcasting firms and phone companies can go into it.
“Aside from VAS, there are also other
options being considered but let’s just wait for the
final recommendation of the group,” Canobas added.
Broadcasting and phone companies have
urged the NTC to fast track the issuance of the rules.
The Philippine Cable TV Association (PCTA)
is blocking the application of NBC and GV for digital
and mobile TV permits. It believes that Smart
Communications Inc. is just using GV in its desire to
enter into broadcasting operations despite it being a
telecommunications company.
But the cellular firm said otherwise.
According to PLDT officials, myTV is a service of GV. It
also said in its January 2 filing with the NTC that
“PCTA has nothing but pure speculations, if not outright
paranoia, to support its claim while, in stark contrast,
GV and Smart have all the necessary legal documents to
prove the exact converse of the PCTA’s points.”
Smart and GV said the technology for
mobile TV service was developed precisely to cater to
people on-the-go and it is therefore inevitable that
broadcast companies will partner with mobile-phone firms
in order to provide reasonable and affordable rates.
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