PHThe National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) will shut down analog television broadcasts in Mega Manila on November 22 as the government moves to complete the region’s transition to digital terrestrial television.
NTC Deputy Commissioner Alvin Blanco said the analog switch-off remains on schedule.
“The NTC has issued a memorandum circular for the analog switch-off in Mega Manila. The target date for the ASO is 22 November 2026,” Blanco told Malaya Business Insight.
Under Memorandum Circular No. 005-11-2025, television stations operating in the National Capital Region, Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna, Cavite, Pampanga, and Bataan are required to migrate to the Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting-Terrestrial (ISDB-T) standard within 12 months from the circular’s effectivity.
Any extension must be granted by the commission and announced through written notice at least 60 days before the original deadline.
After the transition period, television stations in the covered areas must cease analog broadcasts and operate exclusively through digital terrestrial television broadcasting.
The NTC said Mega Manila was selected for the initial phase because about 80 percent of television households in the area were already receiving digital broadcasts as of December 2024, indicating that most viewers no longer rely solely on analog reception.
The commission said the migration would provide viewers with better picture and sound quality, improved signal reception, and access to more channels and programming, including educational and public service content.
The ISDB-T standard also supports an integrated Emergency Warning Broadcast System, which can automatically transmit emergency alerts to compatible television receivers through audible warnings and on-screen messages during disasters and other emergencies.
The NTC said many television networks, particularly those operating on the Very High Frequency band, have been transmitting analog and digital signals simultaneously for more than eight years to maintain uninterrupted service during the transition.
Maintaining both systems, however, has raised operating costs for broadcasters.
The commission said setting a firm analog switch-off date would allow television networks to redirect resources toward full digital operations while improving spectrum efficiency and expanding channel capacity.
Once the migration is completed, the NTC will permanently recall all radio frequencies assigned to analog television broadcasting.
To prepare households for the transition, the Department of Information and Communications Technology, in coordination with the NTC and the Presidential Communications Office, will develop policies and guidelines for the digital TV migration to ensure that no television household is left without access during the switch-off period.
NTC Deputy Commissioner Alvin Blanco said the analog switch-off remains on schedule.
“The NTC has issued a memorandum circular for the analog switch-off in Mega Manila. The target date for the ASO is 22 November 2026,” Blanco told Malaya Business Insight.
Under Memorandum Circular No. 005-11-2025, television stations operating in the National Capital Region, Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna, Cavite, Pampanga, and Bataan are required to migrate to the Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting-Terrestrial (ISDB-T) standard within 12 months from the circular’s effectivity.
Any extension must be granted by the commission and announced through written notice at least 60 days before the original deadline.
After the transition period, television stations in the covered areas must cease analog broadcasts and operate exclusively through digital terrestrial television broadcasting.
The NTC said Mega Manila was selected for the initial phase because about 80 percent of television households in the area were already receiving digital broadcasts as of December 2024, indicating that most viewers no longer rely solely on analog reception.
The commission said the migration would provide viewers with better picture and sound quality, improved signal reception, and access to more channels and programming, including educational and public service content.
The ISDB-T standard also supports an integrated Emergency Warning Broadcast System, which can automatically transmit emergency alerts to compatible television receivers through audible warnings and on-screen messages during disasters and other emergencies.
The NTC said many television networks, particularly those operating on the Very High Frequency band, have been transmitting analog and digital signals simultaneously for more than eight years to maintain uninterrupted service during the transition.
Maintaining both systems, however, has raised operating costs for broadcasters.
The commission said setting a firm analog switch-off date would allow television networks to redirect resources toward full digital operations while improving spectrum efficiency and expanding channel capacity.
Once the migration is completed, the NTC will permanently recall all radio frequencies assigned to analog television broadcasting.
To prepare households for the transition, the Department of Information and Communications Technology, in coordination with the NTC and the Presidential Communications Office, will develop policies and guidelines for the digital TV migration to ensure that no television household is left without access during the switch-off period.