The Dominican Institute of Telecommunications (Indotel) announced that the first phase of the digital terrestrial television (DTT) switch-over will begin on 21 November 2024.
This initial stage will cover Greater Santo Domingo, including the National District and Santo Domingo province, the eastern region, and the province of San Cristóbal.
As part of the nationwide project, Indotel is distributing around 940,000 converter boxes to vulnerable households that rely on over-the-air antennas and do not have paid television services. The goal is to ensure universal access to the new digital signal. Distribution will be carried out by Indotel staff in coordination with religious and community organizations.
Indotel aims to complete the distribution of converter boxes nationwide by 2025. These devices will allow households with antennas to receive the new DTT signal.
Indotel Board chairman Guido Gómez Mazara stated that the initiative will reach historically marginalized sectors and provide them with high-quality television. “Our goal is to identify those who have difficulty accessing this technology and, as an institution, bring 21st Century technology to them,” he said.
Jorge Roques, project director at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), explained that this process is simply the transition from analog to digital over-the-air television. The project will have an approximate cost of US$20 million dollars and is financed by the IDB. “Channels will cease analog transmissions and switch to fully digital broadcasts,” Roques explained.
Indotel executive director Julissa Cruz emphasized that this action seeks to democratize access to quality television. “Today, there are thousands of Dominicans who watch public, free television, but of very poor quality, and this is what this project will change,” she stressed.
The beneficiary households will be those previously identified as meeting the institution’s requirements, and one box will be provided per household.
Digital Terrestrial Television is the transmission of digital television signals through a network of terrestrial repeaters. Like analog TV, DTT remains free, but the transmission technology is more advanced and allows for higher-quality broadcasts.
The transition from analog to digital television will bring numerous benefits to the country, opening up a range of options for service users and, above all, the opportunity to make radio spectrum available for next-generation mobile services.
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Indotel
Noticias SIN
26 September 2024