Revised minimum specifications for digital set-top boxes for the Ugandan market

The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) is the regulatory body of the communications sector in Uganda. UCC is also responsible for type approval and licensing of vendors of communication equipment.

In accordance with its mandate under the Uganda Communications Act (Cap 106 Laws of Uganda), the Commission on June 12, 2012 adopted and communicated the minimum specifications for set-top boxes for use in digital broadcasting in Uganda based on the DVB-T2 standard.

In the earlier specifications, it was a requirement that all set top boxes should have “at least one embedded smart card reader or a DVB-CI (Common Interface) slot to allow any type of conditional access module to be plugged into the set top box.” However, UCC has revised the minimum specifications for DVB-T2 set top boxes.

Accordingly, the conditional access feature is optional for DVB-T2 set top boxes intended for use to receive Free to Air (FTA) TV content on the digital terrestrial platforms in Uganda. However, the feature remains mandatory for DVB-T2 set top boxes that are intended for use to receive premium content or pay/subscription TV on the digital terrestrial platform.

Furthermore, vendors of equipment must cease importation of DVB-T set-top boxes into Uganda. All equipment suppliers and vendors should obtain type approval of the set-top boxes from the Uganda Communications Commission.