Vietnam is turning into a promising market for local and foreigntraders offering solutions and terminal devices thanks to a nationalplan to digitalise television, the Vietnam Investment Review (VIR)reported on August 15.
The national plan to digitalise televisionbroadcasting and transmission to 2020 is aimed at converting TVbroadcasting transmission infrastructure from the current analoguetechnology to digital, in order to improve service quality, increase thenumber of available channels, diversify service forms, improveefficiency of radio frequencies, and free up frequency sources todevelop broadband mobile services.
Accordingly, the first phaseof the plan will include five cities, namely Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City,Haiphong, Da Nang and Can Tho. Broadcasting TV channels via analogueinfrastructure will be completely converted to digital before December31, 2015.
Gao Di, Vice General Manager of Alliance BroadcastVision International, which offers conditional access systems (CAS) andmiddleware for digital television, said the TV digitalisation plan willcreate opportunities for many people in Vietnam to approach higherquality television with more diverse content.
“Those who can’t afford paid television will benefit a lot from this plan,” Gao Di was quoted by the VIR as saying.
Accordingto the White Book released by the Ministry of Information andCommunications (MIC) for 2013, there are currently 22 million televisionhouseholds in Vietnam.
Of this 22 million, 2.6 million are cabletelevision subscribers, 3.3 million are satellite TV subscribers, 12.5million watch analogue television, and 3.5 million are using groundreceivers DVB-T (Digital Video Broadcasting – the old standardtelevision technology). This latter segment is mostly in rural andmountainous areas. Once the conversion to digital television iscomplete, television will not be available to the subscribers of thelatter two service types. “We must follow through on the digitalisationroadmap to ensure quality television and best serve the people,” the VIRcited Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Bac Son assaying.
“Digitalisation will help transmit higher qualiytelevision programmes, spread the availability of HD and 3D programmes,and optimise frequency use. With analogue technology, a band will onlyserve one television channel, while with the DVB-T2 technology, one bandcan serve 20 channels,” said Doan Quang Hoan, General Director of theAuthority of Radio Frequency Management under the MIC.
The planhas fired a race between TV service providers to upgrade theirtechnology, infrastructure and content. VTV, VTC and other broadcastersin the five aforementioned cities are taking steps to ensure the targetof December 31, 2015 is met. For instance, VTV has developed 122analogue and two digital systems, and are in the process of convertingall their analogue systems into digital. VTC has completed replacingreceivers to meet DVB-T2 standards.
According to the MIC, thereare 67 broadcasters, 27 cable TV broadcasters, 5 terrestrial digital TVbroadcasters, and 3 satellite digital TV broadcasters, comprising VTV,VTV and AVG. VNPT is also asking for a satellite television licence toprovide satellite services alongside its internet television MyTVservice, with the expectation of starting to provide satellitetelevision services from next year.
“Local broadcasters andtelevision service providers should take this as an opportunity tocompete for market share,” said Gao Di.-VNA
The national plan to digitalise televisionbroadcasting and transmission to 2020 is aimed at converting TVbroadcasting transmission infrastructure from the current analoguetechnology to digital, in order to improve service quality, increase thenumber of available channels, diversify service forms, improveefficiency of radio frequencies, and free up frequency sources todevelop broadband mobile services.
Accordingly, the first phaseof the plan will include five cities, namely Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City,Haiphong, Da Nang and Can Tho. Broadcasting TV channels via analogueinfrastructure will be completely converted to digital before December31, 2015.
Gao Di, Vice General Manager of Alliance BroadcastVision International, which offers conditional access systems (CAS) andmiddleware for digital television, said the TV digitalisation plan willcreate opportunities for many people in Vietnam to approach higherquality television with more diverse content.
“Those who can’t afford paid television will benefit a lot from this plan,” Gao Di was quoted by the VIR as saying.
Accordingto the White Book released by the Ministry of Information andCommunications (MIC) for 2013, there are currently 22 million televisionhouseholds in Vietnam.
Of this 22 million, 2.6 million are cabletelevision subscribers, 3.3 million are satellite TV subscribers, 12.5million watch analogue television, and 3.5 million are using groundreceivers DVB-T (Digital Video Broadcasting – the old standardtelevision technology). This latter segment is mostly in rural andmountainous areas. Once the conversion to digital television iscomplete, television will not be available to the subscribers of thelatter two service types. “We must follow through on the digitalisationroadmap to ensure quality television and best serve the people,” the VIRcited Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Bac Son assaying.
“Digitalisation will help transmit higher qualiytelevision programmes, spread the availability of HD and 3D programmes,and optimise frequency use. With analogue technology, a band will onlyserve one television channel, while with the DVB-T2 technology, one bandcan serve 20 channels,” said Doan Quang Hoan, General Director of theAuthority of Radio Frequency Management under the MIC.
The planhas fired a race between TV service providers to upgrade theirtechnology, infrastructure and content. VTV, VTC and other broadcastersin the five aforementioned cities are taking steps to ensure the targetof December 31, 2015 is met. For instance, VTV has developed 122analogue and two digital systems, and are in the process of convertingall their analogue systems into digital. VTC has completed replacingreceivers to meet DVB-T2 standards.
According to the MIC, thereare 67 broadcasters, 27 cable TV broadcasters, 5 terrestrial digital TVbroadcasters, and 3 satellite digital TV broadcasters, comprising VTV,VTV and AVG. VNPT is also asking for a satellite television licence toprovide satellite services alongside its internet television MyTVservice, with the expectation of starting to provide satellitetelevision services from next year.
“Local broadcasters andtelevision service providers should take this as an opportunity tocompete for market share,” said Gao Di.-VNA
