LANGKAWI: Another milestone will be recorded in the nations’s broadcasting industry, with the announcement of the gradual shut down of analogue television broadcast, to allow consumers to fully switch to myFreeview digital broadcast services.
The historic announcement will be made by Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo, at the Langkawi District Civil Defence Force (APM) Complex this evening.
Gobind who will be here on an official visit, will also be gauging the success of the migration process from analogue to digital, on the island resort, which is into its second week.
In the morning, the minister will visit Kampung Padang Lalang internet centre in Ayer Hangat, before checking on the Analogue Switch Off (ASO) operations room at the Langkawi District APM Complex.
The term Analogue Switch Off refers to the complete shutdown of television broadcasting services, provided for free by RTM since 1963 and TV3 since 1984, using the old (analogue) technology.
Langkawi residents have begun moving towards digital TV broadcast since July 21, after the analogue TV transmission from Gunung Raya was shut down and replaced by myFreeview digital broadcasting coverage,which offers better broadcast quality.
Langkawi was chosen as the first zone in the country to cease analogue TV broadcast because the island has a robust digital TV ecosystem, where digital TV coverage is comprehensive. Free decoders were distributed to households under the government’s Bantuan Sara Hidup financial aid,
Malaysia is the third country in the ASEAN region to shut down analogue broadcasting after Brunei in 2017 and Singapore in January this year.
–BERNAMA
