Seven analog television channels were to be switched off as of yesterday in Ha Noi, HCM City and Can Tho.

Accordingly, Ha Noi would stop transmitting on channels VTV6, H2 and VTC9.

HCM City would also stop transmitting on channels VTV6, VTV9, VTC9 and HTV7.

Can Tho would stop analog transmissions on VTV6, VTV Can Tho 1, VTV Can Tho 2 and VTC9.

The Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) has asked the Viet Nam Television, the Viet Nam Multimedia Corporation, Ha Noi Radio and Television, HCM City's Television, Hai Phong Radio and Television and Can Tho Radio and Television to inform the relevant local authorities.

All analog television channels would be stopped by August 15 in the four cities.

The ministry also provided a hotline to support and answer all questions on the digitalisation programme, available at 05111022.

At a June 6 meeting, Information and Communications minister Truong Minh Tuan requested agencies to prepare well for implementation of television digitalisation in the four cities.

"The ministry is determined to implement the television digitalisation on time. We will start implementing the second phase of the programme right after August 15," said the minister.

4G testing results

The Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) is finalising the 4G licensing policy, Deputy Minister Phan Tam said at a recent workshop on spectrum management for mobile broadband.

He said the country's mobile businesses were also preparing to report the 4G testing results.

Doan Quang Hoan, director of the authority, said the workshop was held with the purpose of updating the newest information on mobile broadband technology and development trend of the technology, which would help providers and enterprises effectively exploit frequency spectrum for the successful implementation of mobile broadband.

Frequency management for mobile broadband and technology for mobile in the future is a hot issue in Viet Nam, as 4G technology gets licensed this year.

The deputy minister also emphasised that the ministry always saw the learning of international experience as important in building policy for Internet development, telecommunication and radio frequency.

Accordingly, international experience would help the country implement the 4G technology faster and more effectively, he added.

According to the Authority of Radio Frequency Management, domestic businesses had started to pilot 4G technology on the 1,800 MHz bandwidth since the end of last year.

Of these, Viettel implemented the technology in Ha Noi, Da Nang and Ba Ria-Vung Tau, while VNPT's VinaPhone piloted the technology in HCM City and Kien Giang.

Tam said the MIC attached importance to the development of next-generation mobile broadband towards modern telecommunication infrastructure, as the basis for a digital economy, which contributed to improving national competitiveness.

One of the goals of the government's telecommunication broadband infrastructure programme by 2020 is to ensure 3G/4G covers 95 per cent of the population, with good quality and at reasonable rates.

VNS