Jakarta. Indonesia is set to begin the first phase of migration to digital broadcasts next week after many delays, with the government expecting to complete the whole process by November 2.

The transition to digital television will begin on April 30 covering 166 districts and cities, a senior official with the Communication and Information Technology Ministry said on Friday.

“The government is encouraging people to immediately leave analog television and switch to digital television for seamless, clearer, and more sophisticated broadcasts,” Usman Kansong, the ministry’s director-general of information and public communication, said during an event called 
Analog Switch Off in the North Sumatra capital of Medan.

“They can begin the transition now without having to wait until November 2,” he said.

The official said the digital switchover in Indonesia came a bit late compared to neighboring countries due to many delays in the process. 

Malaysia and Singapore completed the transition in 2019, while Thailand and Vietnam followed suit in 2020.

The second phase of the transition to digital television will start on August 25 affecting 110 districts and cities and the final phase in November will cover 65 districts and cities, Usman said.

IT Minister Johnny G. Plate said earlier that the government has prepared around 6.7 million digital TV converter boxes to be distributed to poor families who don’t have TV sets with digital capability.