SINGAPORE — An additional 400,000 households will receive Digital TV (DTV) Starter Kits that will allow them continued access to Mediacorp’s free-to-air TV programmes when analogue broadcasts cease on Dec 31.

This was announced by Minister for Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim at the Infocomm Media Development Authority’s (IMDA) annual partners’ appreciation event on Friday evening (April 6).

From this month, some 400,000 eligible households will receive a DTV Starter Kit that will allow their existing TV sets to receive digital broadcasts, said the IMDA. Households that do not subscribe to either a Starhub or Singtel Pay-TV service will receive the kit, regardless of whether their TVs are old model sets, or have built-in DVB-T2 digital tuners. This is part of the IMDA’s expansion of its Digital TV Assistance Scheme (DTVAS) to all Singaporean Housing and Development Board (HDB) households that are not subscribed to a Pay-TV service.

Dr Yaacob said in his speech that “the Government is committed to help Singaporeans transition to DTV and enjoy its benefits”.

First rolled out in September 2014, the DTVAS was then only offered to more than 139,000 identified lower-income households. The IMDA revealed that 70,000 from this group have benefited from the scheme, and that “three-quarters of Singapore households are already watching DTV”.

According to IMDA, viewers who see an “Analogue” channel logo appear at the top-right hand corner of their TV screens will be eligible for the kits. The scheme, however, only applies to HDB households. Residents in private homes will have to purchase their own set of equipment if they see the analogue logo, IMDA added.

Eligible households will be given two options: They can have the DTV equipment comprising a digital set-top box and indoor antenna delivered to them and installed for free, or choose the option of offsetting the purchase of DTV equipment at participating electronic stores. Those who choose the first option can do so online or by calling a dedicated hotline. Residents who pick the latter can bring their letter and NRIC to a participating retailer — which includes Best Denki, Gain City,Harvey Norman and Courts — where they will be able to offset the cost of a similar set of equipment by up to S$100.

All eligible households, starting with those in Clementi and Tampines, will receive their starter kits by the end of June, said the IMDA. Limited to one per household, they will be made available for redemption until Dec 31.

The authority is working with grassroots organisations such as the People’s Association to reach out and render assistance to the poor and the elderly. IMDA noted that some have not made the change since “the analogue switch off is still some time away".

To that end, IMDA plans to run a series of campaigns to educate the public on how they can redeem their DTV Starter Kits, or install it themselves, through roadshows in the heartlands. From June, messages will also be broadcast via free-to-air TV channels to inform viewers of the impending changes.