The National Telecommunication (NTC) is looking at the possibility of granting subsidy to households that have yet to shift to digital terrestrial television (DTT) from the soon-to-be shut off analog television.
Alan Blanco, NTC deputy commissioner, in a news release from the Presidential Communications Office , said the agency remains committed to the complete shutoff of analog tv services.
The analog shut off, which started in 2017, was supposed to be completed by 2023.
“The government is studying the possibility of providing subsidies for some of the households that need to transition to digital TV. This is being studied to make sure that we limit the inconvenience,” he said.
Details about the subsidy, however, are not available.
Blanco said 82 percent of households in Metro Manila, nearby provinces and big cities like Cebu and Davao have shifted to digital television services.
The remaining, estimated at a million households, are still using analog tv services.
“We also have to make sure these households which rely on analog reception can still access the digital TV before we shutdown the analog TV service,” he added.
Blanco urged the public, especially those in the provinces, to use digital TV service which is already provided by different television networks.
He said digital television service provides better TV experience, more programming, and even early warning broadcasts during times of emergencies and disasters.
The early warning broadcast is similar to what is offered in other countries like Japan. Jocelyn Montemayor
