Saint Dominic.-Starting today, the Dominican Republic will take the step towards the modernization of the television system with the analog blackout and the beginning of the first phase of the activation of Digital Terrestrial Television by the Dominican Institute of Telecommunications (Indotel).
The president of Indotel, Guido Gómez Mazara, stated that Dominican society will benefit from the advantages of digital television, which will have a substantial improvement in the quality of the image and sound, also giving the ease of Frequently, several programs can be carried out simultaneously, among other facilities.
He explained that prior to the distribution process, a report was carried out that established that in the Dominican Republic 3.4 million homes have at least one television and, after segmentation based on social level, it was recorded that 61% of the poorest have a television. audience level that consumes analog television.
The first stage that begins today covers Greater Santo Domingo, National District, the Eastern region and the province of San Cristóbal.
Investment
For this project, the State invested 22 million dollars in order to guarantee that every Dominican home has access to digital television.
Indotel reported that this figure includes the distribution of converter boxes or decoders to homes, a key step in the process.
Jorge Roque, director of the Project Execution Unit of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), explained that in 2022 an international public tender was held with IDB funds for the acquisition of the first 459,000 converter boxes.
Subsequently, 90,000 additional units were purchased and, recently, 400,000 more, reaching a total of 940,000 boxes that will be distributed nationwide.
Roque highlighted that the company awarded in the tender is responsible for the manufacturing, import and direct delivery of the boxes to homes, with the support of Indotel to guarantee that deliveries are made to homes that meet the required requirements.
This project, which is being carried out in three phases, is currently in the first phase.
For her part, Julissa Cruz, executive director of Indotel, clarified that users of cable television or pay television systems will not notice any changes in the transition.
President Abinader with Gómez Mazara at the symbolic switching on of digital television. Jose de Leon
“People who already have access to quality television through these systems will not even notice the change, since they have been enjoying a digital signal for a long time.
This project is aimed mainly at people whose resources cannot afford a cable system,” Cruz said.
The distribution phase of the converter boxes is advanced, and according to reports, tomorrow the beneficiaries who already have the boxes installed will be able to enjoy digital television with clear image quality, without the need for payment.
The director of User Protection of Indotel, Carolina García Reyes, stated that citizens who already have the digital ignition converter box can connect their equipment and enjoy 21 national and 4 regional television channels.
He also indicated that the equipment comes with the box, coaxial cable, remote control with its batteries and an installation manual in Spanish.
He added that in the next few hours an instructional commercial will be shown on national television that will explain step by step how to install it.
“If you want to search for the facilities, it is on social networks on the Indotel page, step by step how to do it and also by calling 829-732-5555, there is a recording where everything is explained,” he argued.
He added that each converter box is registered in the name of the person who was delivered, who will be the only one authorized to receive assistance for its installation if necessary.
Distribution
510 thousand converters.
They were distributed to the population, one per family, for the first stage of digital ignition.
Indotel seeks to update Law 153-98
Projects. The president of the Dominican Institute of Telecommunications (Indotel), Guido Gómez Mazara, announced that among the challenges facing the institution are promoting the modification of the General Telecommunications Law, improving the connectivity of police detachments and blocking telephone networks in the prisons.
He indicated that Law 153-98 is obsolete, so they are working to present a draft modification to the National Congress.
He announced that by next year Indotel will have all the detachments in the country connected, in addition to installing network blockers in four model penitentiary centers.
He specified that 36% of the robberies recorded in the country target a cell phone, but 90% of crimes by telephone are with stolen equipment and from prisons.
