The NBTC board is preparing to approve a new Digital TV Roadmap following focus group discussions, opening the way for a “National Streaming Platform” and OTT regulation, marking a transformation of Thai media for the first time in 10 years.
A source from the Digital Television Association (Thailand) revealed that the NBTC board meetings on 9 and 11 December are being closely watched as they could mark a major turning point for Thailand’s media industry in a decade. The agenda includes setting the direction for digital TV before licenses expire in 2029, promoting a National Streaming Platform, regulating OTT services, establishing an emergency alert system via TV, and setting media standards for people with disabilities. All these will be framed within the 2026–2030 Television Business Roadmap, seen as elevating internet TV viewing to a "basic right of the public."
The NBTC Broadcasting and Television Business Committee meetings on 9 and 11 December will address strategic agenda items that could reshape the entire Thai media structure, especially the draft Television Business Roadmap 2026–2030, a long-term plan preparing for the expiration of terrestrial TV licenses in 2029.
The Roadmap covers three main areas:
1. Regulation of the television industry This includes revising Must Carry rules, cross-platform channel ordering, allocation of the 3500 MHz frequency band to support new technologies, and setting standards for MUX network structures.
2. Promoting competition and business structure Such as supporting a National Streaming Platform and Audio Streaming Platform, along with measures to support network service providers.
3. Consumer protection Including media safety standards and inclusive design to ensure access for people with disabilities.
This Roadmap will define the “new role of Thai TV” — whether it remains purely broadcast or evolves into a hybrid Broadcast–Streaming model.
Another key agenda is the plan to provide terrestrial TV viewing channels online through a Multi-CDN Platform infrastructure, a foundational element of the National Streaming Platform. The idea is to allow the public to watch terrestrial TV over the internet without needing antennas, set-top boxes, or satellite dishes, and to ensure equal access regardless of the viewer’s internet provider.
According to sources, this project is included in the 2023–2025 USO (Universal Service Obligation) plan for broadcasting and television, comprising 11 projects, with funding support from the NBTC Research and Development Fund (RDF). This will help MUX network operators install necessary equipment and APIs to support signal transmission between TV and online platforms centrally.
In the same meeting, NBTC will review reports and plans to develop an Emergency Warning System (EWS) via television, requiring all TV channels to provide “automatic alerts” using Broadcast Override technology connected to a central API. In the future, this may extend to alerts on online platforms linked to the National Streaming Platform. The EWS will be a cross-platform system where broadcast, IPTV, and online media share the responsibility to alert the public, not just send signals to TV screens.
Another important agenda is the draft regulation of internet broadcasting (OTT), alongside the establishment of a joint committee among government agencies, led by the Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) under the Digital Platform Services Act 2022. The regulatory principle is to “regulate only as necessary to ensure transparency, fairness, competition, and consumer protection, rather than content control.” For the first time, global platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Netflix, and VIU will be formally held accountable for consumer protection under Thai law.
The Roadmap also details upgrades in services for people with disabilities, such as live captioning APIs, accessibility features for disabled users, and requirements for streaming platforms to support all types of disabilities, funded by the NBTC RDF.
The Digital TV Association assesses that if this agenda is approved, it will be the biggest turning point for Thailand’s media industry in a decade, as TV will no longer be just a broadcast system but accessible on the internet equally, entering direct competition with global streaming platforms. This will transform media into a public service, not merely a private market commodity.
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