Preparations for digital broadcast bid

Interested companies invited to present their files

The recently formed National Digital Committee will invite interested companies to present their digital TV broadcasting systems and equipment on August 6 and 7. This measure will precede an eventual bidding phase as part of the initiative by the Ministries of Telecommunications and Information to switch all audiovisual broadcasting from analogue to digital transmission.

The committee had been tasked earlier with studying the project’s feasibility and submitting a report to the Ministry of Telecommunications, which was forwarded to the Cabinet for approval. The committee will supervise the technical aspects of the transition and will manage the digital broadcast’s pilot phase.

Jinane Karam, Spectrum Expert at the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), said they will start by examining the profiles of interested companies. The TRA has not specified a date for tenders yet.

Each interested company is required to submit a company profile file before August 2, 2013. This file should mention the equipment and systems the company uses, its business and projects in the field of digital TV broadcasting, and details about its financial, human resources, and logistics capabilities.

The committee is chaired by Imad Hoballah from the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) and includes the following members: Ghaleb Kandil from the National Media Council, Gaby Daniel, Antoine Boustany, and Talal Assaf as advisors at the Ministry of Telecommunication, Toufic Halawi from Télé Liban, Louis Riachi and Jean Hokayem from the Ministry of Information, and Mohamad Ayoub from the TRA.