The current situation concerning the transition to digital terrestrial television and proposals for solving the existing problems were examined on Friday, June 16, at the meeting of the interinstitutional working group, created within the Ministry of Information Technology and Communications by the Government’s indication, including the representatives of the public institutions involved in the implementation of the Programme.
The Deputy Minister of Information Technology and Communications (ITC) Vitalie Tarlev mentioned at the meeting that the Programme on transition to digital terrestrial television is implemented at 70% and all the actions are taken to ensure its timely implementation. “However, in order to complete the transition process by the end of this year, we have to overcome several deficiencies”, the Deputy Minister added.
In this respect, the issue regarding the mechanism for providing a number of disadvantaged families with equipment for the reception of digital terrestrial television (set-top boxes) allowing old-type TV sets to receive digital signals, was examined at the meeting. It is worth mentioning that the Ministry of Finance is in the process of identifying 50 million lei, which will allow gratuitous provision with converters of over 70 thousand disadvantaged families. The organization of centralized procurement and distribution of this equipment is to be carried out through the existing mechanisms for social aid allocation, by the Ministry of Labour, Social Protection and Family, with the involvement of the Ministry of ITC, and their distribution through the State Enterprise „Posta Moldovei”. The relevant draft Government Decision shall be finalized and proposed as soon as possible for public consultations.
From another point of view, another problem to be solved is the production and distribution of digital TV content. The Director of the State Enterprise „Radiocomunicatii” Mihail Iacob reported about the economic constraints encountered as a result of the delay of this process by the TV producers. Thus, in a situation when only 8 of the 15 broadcasters, who have obtained, by the decision of the Broadcasting Coordinating Council (BCC), broadcasting licenses for Multiplex A, have signed the service contracts, the SE „Radiocomunicatii” broadcasts this service at half capacity, incurring losses. For the same reason, for the TV content producers, who benefit from the service, it is twice as expensive. The situation has also been aggravated as a result of the fact that, on June 8, 2017, by decision of the BCC, the deadline to start program services broadcasting through Multiplex A for three of the TV producers - „Jurnal TV”, „Canal Regional”, and „Agro TV Moldova”, - has been extended, at their request, till November 30, 2017.
The Working Group meeting also addressed the topic related to informing of population about the accessibility of new services, as well as the fact that the BCC will benefit from a partnership with the Council of Europe, which will provide a grant to develop 4 informative spots for the promotion of digital terrestrial television. Also, about 1000 banners containing the information on digital terrestrial television will be produced and placed in about 1000 post offices throughout the country.
In the context of stopping analogue terrestrial broadcasting at global level, the Republic of Moldova has undertaken the obligation regarding the transition to digital terrestrial television by signing the Regional Agreement of the International Telecommunication Union relating to the planning of the digital terrestrial broadcasting service „Geneva-2006”. Thus, analogue television broadcasting shall be stopped in our country on 31 December 2017.
During the period 2005 - 2015, the SE „Radiocomunicatii” made its own investments amounting to approximately EUR 5 million in the creation of 2 digital television networks - Multiplexes A and B, and this investment should be valorized, providing citizens with access to quality and varied digital TV content of up to 45 programs.
Also, the transition to digital terrestrial broadcasting will allow the release of an important radio spectrum resource in the 700 MHz band (digital dividend II) and its valorisation by supplying it to mobile service providers for the development of new services, in particular , high-speed Mobile Internet.
