Analogue TV Services To End

The Government today announced it will switch off analogue television services on November 30, 2020.

Hong Kong will enter an era of full digital television broadcasting on December 1 of the same year, it said.

Speaking to the media today, Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Edward Yau said: “We intend to make use of 160 MHz of spectrum vacated from the analogue TV for use by the mobile telecommunication services, which essentially would relieve existing congested indoor mobile hotspots, such as MTR stations.

“We hope this will be conducive to the overall telecom service delivery as well as helping Hong Kong to move ahead with smart city development initiatives."

According to a study conducted in 2017, nearly 90% of households in Hong Kong have already switched to digital terrestrial television as of late-2017.

Mr Yau said: “This high level of penetration means that by the time we switch off analogue services, the majority of households wouldn’t need to make any adjustment because they have been watching the TV by way of digital services.”

To access digital television services, people can switch to a digital television or add a set-top box to their old television.

The Government also plans to seek funding from the Community Care Fund to launch a scheme to subsidise eligible households to purchase a set-top box or a basic model digital television, Mr Yau added.

Click here for details.