Bangkok: The NBTC has collaborated with the Ministry of Interior to develop a modern 'news tower' prototype to enable citizens to receive public information quickly and comprehensively, supporting warnings. Air Chief Marshal Thanapan Haraijaroen, a member of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), revealed that he had held a joint meeting with the Ministry of Interior to consider a prototype of a modern 'news broadcasting tower' or Village News Broadcasting Post to enable people in villages and communities to receive news and public services quickly and equally, which will benefit local development, economy, politics, and administration. The Department of Local Administration, Ministry of Interior, is responsible for this initiative, which aligns with the master plan for broadcasting and television businesses in Thailand.
According to Thai News Agency, 'broadcast towers' are considered an economical channel for broadcasting at the village level, offering a budget-friendly alternative to community radio stations. Currently, there are over 60,000 'broadcast towers' nationwide, primarily using the 420.200 MHz frequency band, which may have low quality due to outdated technology.
To address these limitations, the NBTC has proposed a project to develop a prototype of a modern 'broadcast tower' with enhanced capabilities. These include a transmission station and broadcasting management system in villages, improved signal reception and compression for better quality, and a broadcasting management support system for wireless receiver stations. The new system will also feature a public service application displaying broadcast schedules and offering live and on-demand content access, along with interactive participation options like voting or expressing opinions.
Mr. Kanit Kongmuang, Director of the Communication Technology Group, Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, emphasized the importance of the 'Broadcast Tower' in connecting data from the central office to provide warnings in cases of disaster or emergency. The NBTC has collaborated with the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation and the Public Relations Department to create a manual of practice for connecting warning signals to all authorized radio stations. This initiative will be extended to the 'Broadcast Tower' to enhance broadcasting capabilities in villages and communities.