KOTA KINABALU: MYTV Broadcasting Sdn Bhd is allocating more than 250,000 decoder sets for free to residents in Sabah when digital terrestrial television (DTT) broadcast is fully launched next year.
Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Salleh Said Keruak said they were part of the two million decoder sets to be distributed free throughout the country.
Speaking at a presentation of MYTV decoder sets to 30 participants under a DTT trial broadcast in Kampung Likas here, Mohd Salleh congratulated MYTV for extending the test broadcast to Sabah.
“Sabah was selected by MYTV as the first location to extend DTT broadcast in Sabah and Sarawak and is the fourth state to undergo trial DTT broadcast.
“Apart from installing a DTT trial broadcast transmitter in Bukit Karatong, Kota Kinabalu, two more transmitters will be set up in Gunung Andrassy in Tawau and Bukit Trig in Sandakan,” he said.
There will be 1,500 MYTV trial decoder sets allocated to selected residents in Sabah.
DTT test broadcast participants will be the pioneer recipients of the initial digital television broadcast.
All participants will have MYTV decoders installed temporarily for free. They will get to view seven stations namely TV1, TV2, TV3, NTV7, TV8, TV9 and TV AlHijrah in digital format under the test phase.
Altel Holdings group chief executive officer Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Yaacob said the transmitter in Bukit Karatong could send DTT broadcast to cover areas around Kota Kinabalu and up to Tuaran and Kota Belud.
He said the DTT trial broadcast was aimed at identifying coverage problems before digital TV broadcast was launched.
“Earlier, the DTT test phase was launched in Terengganu, Kelantan and Pahang to iron out teething problems from time to time,” he said.
DTT trial broadcast would be launched in Sarawak soon, he said.
“The response of selected residents under the DTT trial broadcast has been encouraging with smooth broadcast of all seven channels,” he said. — Bernama
