Digital TV to start broadcast in Mega Manila after November analog switch-off

MANILA – The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has announced that the analog switch-off (ASO) for Mega Manila will begin in November, marking the country's historic transition to Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcast (DTTB).

In a statement on Monday, the NTC said the milestone comes after more than 70 years of television broadcasting in the Philippines.

"The migration from Analog TV to DTTB will usher in a new era of a free-to-air broadcasting that provides clearer pictures, improved reception, expanded channel capacity, and digital broadcast services," the NTC said.

The agency advised analog TV users to acquire a digital TV-ready receiver, smart TV, or set-top box (STB) to receive digital television signals. Users with existing analog TV receivers can connect an appropriate STB to their units to enable reception of digital broadcasts.

The NTC clarified that subscribers of cable antenna television, direct-to-home, and direct-to-use services will not be affected by the ASO.

ASO is the mandatory shutdown of analog terrestrial TV transmission and switching over to digital TV. It is being implemented in phases, with Mega Manila identified as the pilot area because approximately 80 percent of TV households there already receive digital TV broadcast.

Under the adopted Japanese standard, each 6 MHz channel can accommodate multiple digital television programs, including up to six standard-definition programs or one high-definition program.

Mega Manila covers all cities and municipalities in the National Capital Region; the provinces of Bulacan and Cavite; and portions of Pampanga, Laguna, Bataan and Rizal that are covered by Metro Manila TV broadcast signals.

The NTC adopted the Integrated Service Digital Broadcast-Terrestrial standard in November 2013. The guidelines for the switch-off in Mega Manila were issued in November 2025.

Raymond Carl Dela Cruz/PNA