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ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. may venture into digital
mobile television (TV) service, a company executive said.
Miguel Jose T. Navarrete,
ABS-CBN vice-president for finance, said the company is holding
exploratory talks with unnamed parties for a mobile TV entertainment
service.
Mobile TV will allow commuters to
receive updated information while on the move, like in cars, trains,
ferries and buses. The ABS-CBN plan however wouldn’t involve cell
phones, Navarrete said.
GV Broadcasting Inc.,
National Broadcasting Network and National Broadcasting Corp.
separately applied before the National Telecommunications Commission
(NTC) to offer digital mobile TV.
Nimfa T. Mariano, Nera
country manager for the Philippines said the market for mobile TV is
projected to take off in the next two years.
Mariano said a broadcast
company that wants to offer digital mobile TV needs at least $25
million to $30 million to cover the Metro Manila area.
She said the set-up box would
cost about $200 to $300 initially before going down to $40 to $60 in
two years.
Nera developed and produced
the world’s first digital mobile TV hardware for moving vehicles
such as buses, cars and ferries in Singapore.
ABS-CBN also plans to roll
out its digital TV service on a commercial basis in the fourth
quarter.
”In terms of technical
readiness, we are ready,” Navarrete said.
Navarrete had said that
about P800 million to P1 billion will be spent on the company’s
digital TV rollout. For this year, the company, which plans to raise
its advertising rates by 5 percent to 7 percent this year on
improved ratings, set its capital expenditure at P1.5 billion.
ABS-CBN had started
conducting tests for digital TV in Pampanga and other provinces.
Digital TV would allow the
network to open 14 to 15 additional free TV channels since
frequencies can carry more programs in one UHF frequency range.
The NTC is currently in the
process of drafting rules and guidelines on digital TV.
 --Darwin
G Amojelar
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