Consumers Council warns of TV blackout without NBTC roadmap

Thailand Consumers Council is demanding that the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), the country's broadcast and telecom regulator, quickly come up with a roadmap for digital TV before operators' licences expire in 2029.

The council and its partner, Cofact, are also urging the NBTC to expedite the issuance of regulations governing Over-the-Top (OTT) platforms, which deliver TV and film content directly to viewers via the internet, bypassing cable, satellite and terrestrial broadcasting networks.

In a letter submitted to the NBTC today, the council demanded that the regulator accelerate the announcement of its digital TV roadmap to prevent television broadcasts from going dark when licences expire and to allow operators sufficient time to prepare investment plans in line with the roadmap.

The council also said there are currently no clear regulations governing OTT services to ensure fair competition between local and foreign content providers. It added that viewers need protection from harmful or inappropriate content offered by both digital TV and OTT service operators.

Supinya Klangnarong, chair of the council's telecommunications and information technology subcommittee, said viewers would be most affected if digital TV services were shut down due to the expiry of their licences, as free-to-air television channels remain their primary source of information.

Since broadcast frequencies are public property, she noted, it is essential that the NBTC place the public interest at the centre of decisions regarding the future of digital TV and OTT services.

Procrastination could create an opening for major investors to take control of television broadcasting to the detriment of the public interest, Supinya warned.

OTT platforms are increasingly becoming a major channel through which viewers access free content from both local and foreign sources, she said, noting that while local content providers are regulated, foreign providers are not.