KUALA LUMPUR, March 9 (Bernama) -- The government is studying the possibility of using the 'digital dividend' or surplus television spectrum that will become available once the change from analog to digital transmission is in effect, for other services.

Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said the other services being studied included mobile services or broadband.

"When the spectrum used by the various companies for broadcasting is reviewed (after the change from analog to digital transmission), we will have what is known as a "digital dividend" or surplus spectrum.

"We can use this for other services like mobile services or broadband and not necessarily for TV and radio only. It comes under the purview of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

"All these are contained in frequencies which we can offer back so that there is a dividend for the use of other services under our audio and visual services," he said after opening the Asian Broadcasting Union Digital Broadcasting Symposium 2010, here today.

The symposium will run until March 11 with this year's theme being "Leveraging the Digital Advantage".

The symposium is the sixth in a series of highly successful annual events staged by the ABU to help equip radio and television broadcasters with the expertise to plan and manage their digital implementation.

Rais also said the government had spent RM248 million to implement various stages of digitalisation of television broadcasting in Malaysia, particulary at Radio Television Malaysia (RTM).

"The Cabinet on Feb 10 had approved policies relating to our implementation of various phases of digitalisation of TV broadcasting. It is in line with our policy to promote the digitalisation industry and also digital broadcasting in Malaysia," he said.

He said RTM's digitalisation process was proceeding according to schedule and that it was hoped its roll out plan could be executed in 2015.

He said the government was also in the process of determining what the cost would be to the end user (viewers).

"One of the matters that arise is on the payment that have to be shouldered by the people. We are looking at the angle of how much supporting equipment like 'set top boxes'will actually cost to enable the people to receive digital broadcasts.

"The use of these set top boxes has to be studied carefully so as to ensure they are affordable to the people before we fully launch the first phase of digital broadcasting," he said, adding that a trial run involving 1000 such boxes was curently being carried out in the Klang Valley.

"From the feedback we have received, the people are very keen on digital broadcasts, and with economies of scale, the cost (for the boxes) will go down," he said.

At the same time, he urged both government and private television broadcasters in the country to showcase Malaysian and Asian culture in their broadcasts.

"Broadcasting is closely linked to culture, we would like to stress that a big portion of the contents of our broadcasts are based on the lifestyles of Asian countries and of Malaysia. We need to a have an Asian identity," he added.