Thailand – The Nation reported that 11 key provinces – half of Thailand’s 22 million TV-equipped households – would have access to digital terrestrial television by the end of June 2014. The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) revealed this after their approval of 24 commercial digital TV licenses by the broadcasting committee on January 6, 2014.

The first in the country to experience this new digital service in April would include residents in Bangkok, Nakhon Ratchasima, Chiang Mai and Songkhla. This would include all 24 commercial channels and some in the public-broadcasting category. A month later, it will be made available to residents in Ubon Ratchathani, Surat Thani and Rayong, followed by Sing Buri, Sukhothai, Khon Kaen and Udon Thani, in June. 

Natee Sukonrat, chairman of the committee said that the order in which various provinces were earmarked to receive the service was determined in accordance with the digital roll-out plan proposed by the four state-run operators of the existing analog networks. Those are the Royal Army, operator of TV5; MCOT, the operator of Modernine TV; the Public Relations Department, which runs the NBT channel; and Thai Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS).

Under the NBTC’s “must carry” rule, subscribers to cable and satellite TV services will also be able to view the new terrestrially based digital channels – 12 public and 24 commercial.

Residents will also be provided with a 690 baht discount coupon for the purchase of either a set-top box or an integrated digital TV (iDTV) set. This subsidy scheme is aimed at shortening the transition from analog to digital.

Sukonrat shared that the committee aims to distribute the coupons to households in the rest of the country over next four years, with a possibility of increase in the value of the discount coupons to cover the combined prices of set-top boxes and antennas.