Engineering:Digital terrestrial television in Indonesia

Indonesian terrestrial digital television (DVB-T2) is a It launched in 2009, and in most areas runs alongside the analogue TV system, which is planned to end in 2022.

History

Under the Sukarno administration, on August 24th, 1962, the opening ceremony for the Asian Games was Indonesia's first national TV broadcast. On May 20, 2009, two consortium television broadcasters completed a trial run for digital television.

The Indonesian Supreme Court canceled Communication and Information Ministry Regulation No. 22 of 2011. In December 27, 2013, the Communication and Information Ministry released Communication and Information Ministry Regulation No. 32 of 2013.

On March 5, 2015, the Pengadilan Tata Usaha Negara (PTUN), or Administrative Court, repealed the Communication and Information Ministry Regulation Number 22, from 2011 that had been canceled by the Supreme Court.

Digital television transition took place in 2 stages. The first phase of simulcast started in January 2020 in 12 provinces, and later in 22 provinces on March 2020. Analog broadcasting will officially and completely turn off at 2022 Indonesian National Broadcast Day or 1 April 2022.

Frequency usage

Indonesia's telecoms services share bandwidth:

• Analogue System: 478 MHz to 806 MHz
• Digital System: 478 MHz to 694 MHz
• Mobile Broadband: 694 MHz to 806 MHz

Regulation

Communication and Information Ministry Regulation No. 32 includes provisions covering terrestrial and broadcast technologies:

• Digital Broadcast through Terrestrial System is served by LPP TVRI, LPP Local, LPS and LPK.
• Multiplexing Broadcast through Terrestrial System is served by LPP TVRI and LPS. These services have to follow open access and non-discriminatory principles.
• Other LPS and LPS with analog broadcast can rent bandwidth from LPS at the discretion of the Communication and Information Minister.
• Local LPP and LPK with analog broadcast should cooperate with LPP TVRI.

Note: LPP or Lembaga Penyiaran Public (Public Broadcasting Body), LPS or Lembaga Penyiaran Swasta (Private Broadcasting Body), LPK or Lembaga Penyiaran Komunitas (Community Broadcasting Body)

The only significant change between old and new regulations was the elimination of the analog switch-off. The zonal term was changed by provinces and sets the new initial time of digital broadcasts. Zones and Provinces are the same as well as the license.

The Indonesian Local Television Association (Asosiasi TV Lokal Indonesia - ATVLI) intended to appeal again to the Supreme Court if the new regulation, mainly the multiplexing license selection, is still burdensome for local television broadcasters.

Digital area

Digital area of Communication and Information Ministry Regulation Number 32 established five regions to manage the digital transition:

• Developed Economy Area 1: Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, and East Java initial Q1 2013
• Developed Economy Area 2: Banten, Yogyakarta, Riau Islands initial Q1 2013 and North Sumatra, East Kalimantan initial Q1 2014
• Developed Economy Area 3: Aceh initial Q1 2014, and West Sumatra, Riau, South Sumatra, Lampung, Bali, South Sulawesi, North Sulawesi initial Q3 2014, Jambi, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan initial Q4 2014, and Bengkulu, Bangka Belitung, Maluku initial Q1 2015
• Less Developed Economy Area 4: West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara, West Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, South Kalimantan initial Q4 2014 and West Papua, North Maluku, Gorontalo initial Q1 2015
• Less Developed Economy Area 5: Papua initial Q1 2015

The new regulation states that both analog and digital broadcasts can proceed without limit. As of mid-2014 no broadcaster had clearly moved to digital broadcasts.

Broadcasters

As of August 2012, TVRI is the sole broadcaster that broadcasts digital television in Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, and Batam. TVRI has 376 analog transmitters of which 30 are ready to switch to digital.

At the end of September 2012, Metro TV had initial broadcast digital television in:

• Jakarta
• Bandung
• Semarang
• Surabaya
• Malingping, Padeglang, Anyer and Cilegon in Banten Province

Distribution

The plan was to distribute 6 million free set-top boxes to low income families, before 2014 FIFA World Cup. Vendors offered a set-top box that receives signals from DVB-T2 through UHF, so it is unnecessary to change the analogue antenna. The plan did not work and the first distributions of set-top-boxes were done by Banten Sinar Dunia Televisi (BSDT) which got zone 4 license covered Jakarta and Banten. It distributed in Malingping, Banten concerning Proclamation Date August 17, 2014.

Some brands released LED TVs with built-in DVB-T2.