Brasília, 12 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The minister of Communications, Juarez Quadros, announced yesterday a policy for the installation of Digital TV in Brazil. It determines that digital television should be open, free, at no cost, and accessible to the entire population that uses analog TV. The policy also contemplates incentives for industries that manufacture transmission equipment and television receivers, in order to make equipment more readily available. The minister pointed out that the Brazilian industrial complex should receive the benefits of measures for the production of equipment necessary to make Digital TV available to large segments of the population.

According to the minister, the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) will draw up regulations for technical procedures and determine the technological model. The Agency is analyzing the three formats that currently exist: the American, the European, and the Japanese. The choice will be made in conjunction with the ministries of Communications, Finance, and Development, Industry, and Foreign Trade. Brazil will require that the possessors of the technology introduce incentives to integrate Latin American television systems and that they also train Brazilian technicians to operate the new system. (DAS)