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The following is issued on behalf of the Housing Authority:
The Housing Authority (HA) has completed the second phase of the upgrading work for the communal aerial broadcast distribution (CABD) system. Tenants of over 140 public rental housing (PRH) estates can now receive Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) broadcasts with a proper TV device.
Starting last year, the HA arranged upgrading work for the CABD system in its estates in two phases to tie in with the phased DTT launched by the two domestic free television stations, Asia Television Limited and Television Broadcasts Limited.
Subsequent to the completion of the first phase covering 68 estates last December, the second phase has now been completed as scheduled, adding some 80 estates. Almost all PRH estates are now ready to receive DTT broadcasts.
With all upgrading works completed, when the two TV broadcasters commence DTT broadcasting through their transmission stations at Temple Hill, Golden Hill, Kowloon Peak, Castle Peak, Cloudy Hill, Lamma Island and Mount Nicholson, PRH residents will be able to receive DTT signals.
"Despite the completion of the upgrading works in all PRH estates, three estates, namely Lung Tin, Ma Hang and Cheung Kwai Estates, due to geographic situation, signal coverage, signal blockage, etc, are not yet able to receive DTT broadcasting signals; while the reception at three blocks at Lai King Estate (Lok King, On King and Yeung King Houses) and one block at Wan Tsui Estate (Yat Tsui House) are still being fine-tuned," a spokesman for the HA explained.
"The Office of the Telecommunications Authority was notified of the problems and is trying hard to address them," he added.
Conventional terrestrial TV broadcasting will continue after the commencement of DTT. Tenants may choose to use existing TV sets and equipment to view charge-free programmes in analogue format provided by the four TV channels.
The total cost for the whole upgrading works, including both phases, is about $20 million.
Ends/Thursday, August 7, 2008
Issued at HKT 15:46
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