What IS ASO? The Following Are The Benefits Of Analog TV Migration To Digital For The Community

Illustration of children watching digital TV. (Pixabay)

YOGYAKARTA Some people may ask what ASO is and its benefits, after the government went through the Ministry of Communication and Information (Kominfo) on Wednesday 2 November 2022 officially stopped broadcasting analog TV (Analogue Switch Off/ASO).

This policy is implemented in stages, namely nine regencies and cities in the Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi (Jabodetabek) areas as well as 173 non-terrestrial service regencies and cities or no terrestrial television service.

ASO (Analogue Switch Off) is a process in which analog television broadcasting technology is converted and replaced by digital television.

In addition, ASO can also be interpreted as stopping analog TV broadcasts which are completely transferred to digital TV broadcasts.

Benefits of ASO

Quoted from the official website of Kominfo, Friday, November 11, 2022, the termination of analog TV broadcasts provides a number of advantages, including:

The Director General of Information and Public Communication of the Ministry of Communication and Informatics Usman Kansong stated that the migration of television broadcasting systems from analog to digital has many benefits for the community, broadcasting institutions, and the state.

"By turning to Digital TV, people will enjoy better quality TV broadcasts because the image is cleaner, the sound is clearer and the technology is more sophisticated," he explained in Jakarta some time ago.

The next benefit of switching analog TV to digital is that the choice of broadcast content for the public will become more and more diverse types, and can be enjoyed for free.

"Digital TV broadcasts are free-to-air and not subscription TV, so people don't need to subscribe or use internet data package quotas," explained Usman.

The implementation of ASO also makes the broadcasting industry more prepared to compete in the era of convergence through the adoption of new technology and the use of multi broadcast channels.

"Investment will also be more efficient in the long term, in line with the potential for the use of joint infrastructure in the era of digital TV," said the Director General of IKP at the Ministry of Communication and Informatics.

The migration of analog to digital tv broadcasts will facilitate the use of a more efficient 700 MHz frequency spectrum.

According to Director General Usman Kansong, the transition resulted in digital dividends utilizing radio frequency spectrum.

"What can be used to create a faster, more equitable internet, multiplier effect in the digital economy sector, and provide additional APBN income from the Non-Tax State Revenue (PNBP) sector. In addition, there will also be a potential for a significant increase in GDP," said Usman.

In line with Usman, Plt. The Director General of Post and Information Technology of Kominfo, Ismail, said that the ASO program will have a multiplier effect and economic impact.

"First, ASO will provide an additional 181,000 new business activities. Second, the creation of 232,000 new jobs, then the third increase in taxes and Non-Tax State Revenue (PNBP) amounting to Rp 77 trillion,"

For additional information, analog TV broadcasts have been in the air for 60 years. In line with the implementation of this migration of television broadcasts or ASO, the government has started distributing top box sets aka STB for poor households nationally. STB is distributed in the amount of 1,055,360 units.

As for the Jabodetabek area, the distribution of STB has reached 98 percent or as many as 473,308 units of the target of 479,307 units. Kominfo noted, as many as 60,791 poor households did not meet the criteria or failed handover.

Meanwhile, for poor households who have not received assistance until last Wednesday, Kominfo confirmed that they have opened a complaint post. The public can call the 159 call center or to the phone number of the nearest STB Handling Quick Response Post.

For the Jabodetabek area, Kominfo opened a quick Response Post for Handling STB Assistance at 6 points. The posts will start operating from 2 to 4 November 2022 from 08.00 to 19.00.

Poor households who have not received a free STB can also apply for STB assistance independently through the website for checking for assistance and information.kominfo.go.id. The trick is to enter the population identification number (NIK) and the captcha code in the column provided.

That is information about what ASO is and its benefits for the community.