The electronics industry expects to

The electronics industry expects to enjoy huge growth in sales in the second half of this year, thanks to the launch of digital terrestrial TV.

Major manufacturers and distributors of TV sets and set-top boxes are ready to produce integrated digital TV receivers and will use them as a key selling point to stimulate consumer spending throughout the year.

By next month, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) aims to issue licences for digital TV network providers, followed in June by the granting of 12 licences for public digital TV channels.

Prapat Rathlertkarn, deputy secretary-general of the Thai Electrical, Electronics and Telecommunication Industries Association, said last week that more than 40 leading manufacturers and distributors of digital TV sets and converter boxes had already applied for the NBTC's approval for their integrated digital TV tuners.

This process is expected to be completed in May or June. After that, those manufacturers will be allowed to start production of digital TV sets and authorised distributors can also start selling their digital TV set-top boxes and antennas.

Then, customers can use the integrated digital TV devices to access TV programmes from the six analogue free-TV channels, which are currently testing digital TV transmissions. The test run is part of the collaboration of the Army's TV 5 and the NBTC to ensure that existing networks and infrastructure can support new broadcasting technology.

The NBTC plans to start the auction for 24 licences for commercial digital TV channels by August. This will also directly stimulate TV manufacturing.

The association estimates about 40 million digital TV sets will be produced by leading manufacturers this year.

In a normal year, sales of TV sets, including LED, LCD and plasma models, are just two million units.

"This is a considerably huge growth in supply. We believe that there will also be an increase in demand," Prapat said.

Sale of TV sets last quarter, however, appeared to have slowed down by 20 per cent from the normal level in the same quarter last year.

Consumers have suspended their purchase of new TV sets because they are |waiting for discount coupons from the NBTC to buy new digital TV sets or set-top boxes to watch digital TV programmes, he added.