Mexico City, July 24 (IANS/EFE): The government plans to invest 18.76 billion pesos ($1.49 billion) to aid the transition to digital television in Mexico by the end of 2015, an official said.

Last Thursday, Tijuana, a border city in the northwestern state of Baja California, became the first Mexican city to convert to Digital Land Television, or TDT.

Administrative procedures are being started to shift five other cities along the US border to TDT, Deputy Communications Secretary Ignacio Peralta said.

Monterrey, Ciudad Juarez, Nuevo Laredo, Reynosa and Matamoros are slated to shift to TDT May 29, 2014, while Mexicali, the capital of Baja California, will move to TDT Nov 26, 2014.

Mexico's over-the-air television industry is dominated by the Televisa and TV Azteca networks, but new networks have been launched on cable television in recent years.

Televisa and TV Azteca both switched from analog to digital broadcasting last Thursday in Tijuana.