Prasar Bharati will phase out all analog terrestrial TV transmitters by March 31 next year, leaving around 50 of them in strategic locations, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry said on Saturday. In a statement, the ministry said "appropriate measures" will be taken for the re-deployment of manpower.

Almost 70 per cent of all analog transmitters have been phased out so far and the rest are being "sunset" in a phased manner while ensuring that "appropriate measures" are taken for re-deployment of manpower, the ministry said.

"With the exception of around 50 analog terrestrial TV transmitters in strategic locations, Prasar Bharati will be phasing out the rest of the obsolete analog transmitters by 31st March 2022," the ministry added. The ministry said analog terrestrial TV is "an obsolete technology" and it is being phased out in both public interest and national interest as it makes valuable spectrum available for new and emerging technologies such as 5G apart from reducing wasteful expenditure on power.

Since the roll-out of broadcasting reforms at Doordarshan and All India Radio over the last couple of years, Prasar Bharati has been "swiftly" phasing out obsolete broadcasting technologies "like analog terrestrial TV transmitters", paving way for a paradigm shift to emerging technologies and new content opportunities, the ministry said. Prasar Bharati has also entered into an MoU with the IIT Kanpur to develop "Next Gen Broadcast Solution" and a roadmap for digital terrestrial broadcasting consistent with emerging standards such as 5G broadcast to enable new applications such as direct to mobile broadcasting and to create new content opportunities through the use of Artificial Intelligence algorithms, the ministry added.