Central and local television stations must stop analogue broadcasting before December 31, 2018 under an amendment to Decision No.2451/QD-TTg on transmission, terrestrial TV broadcasting digitalisation by 2020, recently decided by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.
The digitalisation programme is being carried out in four phases with Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, Da Nang and Can Tho leading the way. Twenty-six provinces were involved in the second phase which ended on December 31, 2016.
The third phase, with a deadline of December 31, 2018, will be implemented in Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Lam Dong, Ninh Thuan, Binh Phuoc, Tay Ninh, Tra Vinh, Soc Trang, Bac Lieu, Ca Mau and Kien Giang provinces and areas outside the coverage of digital broadcasting stations in Quang Ninh, Bac Giang, Thai Nguyen, Phu Tho, Ninh Binh, Binh Thuan, Dong Nai, Ba Ria-Vung Tau and Khanh Hoa.
In the fourth phase, digitalisation will be implemented in remote provinces in the north and central regions.
According to the amendment, the Vietnam Public Utility Telecommunication Services Fund will be used to help impoverished households access digital television by 2020.
