Singapore will switch off analog TV signals in the island between 2015 and 2020 in a bid to free up spectrum and boost signal quality.
Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts Dr Yaacob Ibrahim announced at the imbX opening ceremony on Tuesday that the push to end analog TV will be accompanied by push toward the DVB-T2 standard. This newer digital broadcast standard purports higher signal quality and more efficient spectrum use than its predecessor DVB-T, which ASEAN adopted in 2007.
The country’s pro-digital push will involve a nationwide trial running at least one year to determine suitable DVB-T2 parameters. Media Broadcast GmbH, StarHub and Mediacorp have been named trial partners.
Singapore will be among the first in the region to adopt DVB-T2, which has already been deployed in various European countries. The pro-digital push could potentially free up spectrum for other wireless technologies. Ibrahim said the government was working to allocate suitable spectrum for 4G deployments, such as M1’s recent LTE launch in the central business district.
Ibrahim went on to highlight the country’s push toward mobile, in particular a $15 million fund to spur mobile application development in the retail, food & beverage and hotel sectors. Potential solutions include a common wireless payment platform for merchants and the integration of mobile menus into point-of-sales systems for restaurants. Proposals can be submitted from now through August 23.
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