In The Philippines, What If Phasing Out Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) In Next Few Decade?

In the UK, BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5 will launch a "free-to-access" livestream TV service called Freely by the the end of 1st quarter of 2024. [1] Their purpose is to give access to those UK households who have home fiber optic, broadband satellite, or 4G/5G Internet networks. In my thought, if possibly true, playing any livestream local UK TV channels may be likely offering "unlimited free data streaming" separate from regular data subscription fee for other premium streaming service and general application. Freely, in one hand, is regarded as a replacement of current existing UK services such as Freeview for DVB-T2 and Freesat for DVB-S/S2.

As per Adam Martyn YouTube channel, speculation has arose that local TV broadcasters in UK wanted to phaseout DVB-T2 by 2030 or 2040 in favor of IPTV or streaming. Was it possible to other parts of the world, including Philippines?

While Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) broadcast technologies such as ATSC, DVB-T/T2, ISDB-T, and DTMB were almost advantageous to most low to medium income households that do not have a good home Internet connection, a possibility to phaseout such platform might be a biggest blow to those emerging sectors as an essential to emergency purposes. If ever possible, the unused radio frequencies 450 MHz, 500 MHz, and 620 MHz used in DTT broadcast (600 Mhz band is not used that was exclusively for radio telescope) may likely expand for 4G networks.

Only ABS-CBN, for instance, does have find a way to roll out their wired TV broadcast service thru streaming and IPTV even when it lost their free-to-air analog TV and DTT in 2020 and its legacy coaxial cable TV service of sister company Sky Cable will shut down by February 27, 2024. [2] Additionally, they have no plans to renew license to Congress to revive back their own free-to-air TV and radio [3] digitally as they rather prioritize partner free TV broadcasters Zoe TV, TV5, and GMA-7.

The possibility to roll-out "direct downlink free-to-access" IPTV network technology may be likely or unlikely in the next few years or decades in case the DTT phaseout may be in effect and it's up for stakeholders in media broadcast industry to stand up on that matter.

Sources:

[1] Stuff TV, TechRadar, Mashable

[2] Philstar, Manila Standard

[3] Bilyonaryo