VietNamNet Bridge – As soon as the Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC) laid down as a policy the socialization of the TV transmission and broadcasting, enterprises have kicked off a new race of expanding the coverage areas.

MIC, in the implementation of the plan on digitalizing the TV transmission and developing terrestrial TV by 2020, has worked out a plan to form up a competitive broadcasting and transmission market.

Vietnam now has three televisions with the nationwide coverage, namely VTV, VTC and AVG. It is expected that more transmission and broadcasting units would be set up locally which would be in charge of transmitting the TV channels to serve the local political tasks.

The enterprises which want to join the market must prove their capability, and they would have to bear the market rules, i.e. they would receive no financial support from the State.

The TV digitalization plan is expected to start in Da Nang City and the north of Quang Nam province in the central region in early 2014. By June 2014, the digitalization would be available in the four biggest cities of Hanoi, Hai Phong, HCM City and Can Tho.

According to Deputy Minister of Information and Communication Le Nam Thang, if no local transmission and broadcasting enterprises would be established by 2014, VTV, VTC and AVG, the three enterprises with ready good infrastructure system would take on the task of broadcasting and transmitting in the cities assigned to go digitalized in the first phase of the national program.

Enterprises have been gearing up for preparing for the TV digitalization program by upgrading and expanding the digital terrestrial coverage areas in localities. The national television VTV, for example, has covered the standard DVB-T2 in Hanoi and HCM City. It plans to set DVB-T2 in Da Nang City in early September 2013 and then Hai Phong and Can Tho by the first quarter of 2014.

VTC has been covering 47 cities and provinces nationwide with the standard DVB-T digital terrestrial TV over the last 10 years. The television has been broadcasting 30 TV channels free of charge, fulfilling the task of political propaganda.

With the largest coverage area, which is a great advantage, VTC has been gearing up for the project on upgrading the TV digital terrestrial network from DVB-T to DVB-T2 standard.

It hopes to begin the trial broadcasting in Da Nang City in the third or fourth quarter of 2013 with the high capacity DVB-T2 machines which would cover 90 percent of the Da Nang City and 80 percent of the Quang Nam province.

VTC plans to upgrade the coverage in Hanoi and HCM City by early 2014, while the upgrading and the new investments on the TV network in Hai Phong, Hai Duong and Can Tho would be implemented by late 2015.

AVG has been providing DVB-T2 standard digital terrestrial TV in most of the areas in the northern and southern deltas, including the five cities which would begin implementing the national program on TV digitalization from 2014. However, people have to pay to be able to watch its TV programs.

Hanel, an electronics manufacturer, the Hai Phong Television and Vinh Long Provincial Television have been seeking the permission to join the transmission and broadcasting market.

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