August 4, 2015 Adoption of Japanese Terrestrial Digital TV Broadcasting System (ISDB-T System) in the Republic of Nicaragua

The Republic of Nicaragua (hereinafter referred to as “Nicaragua”) in Central America recently decided on adopting the Japanese terrestrial digital TV broadcasting system (called the ISDB-T system) for its digital terrestrial television broadcasting (DTTB). In response to the decision, Ms. Sanae Takaichi, Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications, and H.E. Mr. Orlando Castillo, President of the Nicaraguan Institute of Telecommunications and Posts(Telcor), have today signed a memorandum of digital terrestrial cooperation. Nicaragua is the 18th country that has adopted the ISDB-T system.

1. Adoption of the ISDB-T system by the Nicaraguan government

• 1.
  The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), in cooperation with relevant government offices and Central American countries that have already adopted the ISDB-T system, has been making efforts toward Nicaragua’s adoption of the ISDB-T system, including the issuance of Minister Takaichi’s official letter.
• 2.
  Terrestrial digital broadcasting systems, including the ISDB-T system, were under study by Nicaragua, and recently Nicaragua decided to adopt the ISDB-T system. Ms. Sanae Takaichi, Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications, and H.E. Mr. Orlando Castillo, President of the Nicaraguan Institute of Telecommunications and Posts (Telcor), who has been currently in Japan under the invitation of MIC, have today signed a memorandum of digital terrestrial cooperation. Nicaragua is the 18th country that has adopted the ISDB-T system.
• 3.
  The contents of the memorandum include technical assistance through a joint working group and human resource development through expert dispatches.

2. MIC’s future efforts

MIC welcomes the decision of the Nicaraguan government, and intends to continue providing overall support to the development of the country toward its smooth migration to terrestrial digital broadcasting.

ISDB-T (Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting-Terrestrial)
The specifications for terrestrial digital television broadcasting used as international standards are divided roughly into the Japanese system, European system, US system and Chinese system. The Japanese system (ISDB-T) has the advantage that broadcasting for fixed terminals and mobile terminals is provided by one transmitter so that networks can be configured with efficient capital investment. Moreover, the function of providing broadcasting for battery-operated mobile terminals that can receive broadcasting anywhere and even in times of any disaster or blackout, and the function of emergency alert broadcasting are effective as countermeasures for disasters.