Migration to digital broadcast will promote the growth of local content, content diversity. 
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The analog switch-off (ASO) or analog broadcast termination is a part of the government's programs for bringing about a digital transformation in Indonesia, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mahfud MD has said.

"By migrating broadcast from analog to digital, Indonesia will obtain a digital dividend that will be utilized for high-speed Internet access," he explained during the Greater Jakarta ASO countdown event here on Thursday.

Once it has fully transitioned to digital broadcasts, Indonesia will gain a digital dividend of 112MHz on the 700MHz frequency band. The government is planning to use the digital dividend to expand Internet access and for disaster communication.

In addition, one of the impacts of digital broadcasts that people will be able to see directly will be better image and voice quality compared to analog broadcasts.

They will also be able to access more content since the number of television channels available on digital broadcast television is higher.

"Migration to digital broadcast will promote the growth of local content, content diversity," the minister added.

The Communication and Informatics Ministry held the analog broadcast countdown event at the ministry's complex in Central Jakarta. The analog broadcast in Greater Jakarta was terminated at midnight.

Indonesia’s journey to the digital broadcast switchover, which started in 2007, has been long. While a digital broadcast migration trial was held in 2008, digital broadcast infrastructure started to be developed in 2012.

In the past few years, a number of regions in Indonesia have received simulcast broadcasts, namely analog and digital television broadcasts over a long period of time.

In addition to infrastructure availability, digital broadcasts also necessitate the installation of set-top box hardware so that people using analog television can still watch the broadcasts.

Currently, the government and the broadcast institution chosen as the digital broadcast multiplexing organizer are continuing to distribute set-top boxes to eligible recipients.

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Translator: Natisha A, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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