Television service will go digital at all provinces and cities nationwide by 2020, according to the Authority of Radio Frequency Management (ARFM).

At a recent conference on the digitalisation of radio and television broadcasting in Ho Chi Minh City, the ARFM said in 2015 five big cities in Vietnam will complete the digitalisation of television according to standards of the radio single frequency technology DVB-T2/MPEG-4.

In 2016, the number will rise to 26 provinces and cities towards the goal of ending the broadcast of analogue television in 2020.

The Ministry of Information and Communication has allocated VND1.71 trillion (US$79.5 million) to assist poor families in the conversion process.

International Telecommunication Union representative Francoirs Rancy told the conference that despite numerous difficulties, the change to digital TV has been carried out successfully in Danang City. He said the ITU will assist Vietnam in carrying out the switchover.

VNA