South Africa - Cabinet approves digital migration policy

PRETORIA — The Minister of Communications, Dr. Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri was pleased by Cabinet’s decision to approve the Broadcasting Digital Migration Policy for South Africa on Wednesday, 6 August 2008.

The policy provides a framework in which migration will take place in South Africa. This ushers a new era in the history of broadcasting industry.

Cabinet approved the manufacturing of set-top boxes (STB) in South Africa and the provision of these boxes as a tool for bridging the digital divide. Cabinet also approved the Technical Specifications of the STB. It decided on a scheme for ownership support and requested an implementation strategy be developed in collaboration with different departments.

What is BDM?

Broadcasting Digital Migration (BDM) is the process of converting the broadcast of television broadcasting signals from analogue to digital technology. The migration is made necessary by the developments in telecommunications technologies which enable a more efficient use of radio frequency spectrum as well as better quality pictures and sound.

Benefits of BDM

BDM in South Africa is considered as part of the development agenda in support of the policy priorities of government such as e-government (provision of government services and information) for all citizens, especially those who have had limited or no access, local content development (creative industries), development of the electronics industry, job creation, social cohesion and national identity, serving the needs of persons with disability and universal access (upgrading of broadcasting infrastructure) as most of the spectrum will be freed by digital transmission. Digital broadcasting also enables the provision of services in a multiplicity of languages thereby increasing access to information, which is essential to meet our poverty reduction goals.

Set-Top-Boxes (STB) as a tool to bridge digital divide

In order to receive the digital signal on their current analogue TV sets, households will need to use set-top-boxes (STBs) that convert the digital signal into analogue signal. The STBs will also serve as important tools for access to government information and services. Set top boxes could also be used with digital T.V.s in accessing government information.

The STBs would have a software solution which enables TV viewers to review upcoming programmes using a remote control. This enables planning on the part of viewers to view relevant programmes for their own convenience. For example, school children would be able to know when to view education programmes appropriate to their respective levels.

The inclusion of a Return Path Capability feature in the STB, enables the public to receive as well as send a message back as opposed to only receiving messages. This feature therefore enables the full and interactive provision of e-government services such as accessing, filling in and sending back government forms without the viewer leaving home or the place where the TV set is located.

Scheme-for-Ownership-Support for poor households

Government would provide ownership support as an incentive of up to 70% to approximately 5 million of the poorest TV owning households. These households will have to raise the other 30% on their own. This support will be based on the anti poverty strategy and its conditionalities. Funding for this support could be sourced from Universal Service and Access Fund (USAF).

Developing world-class local electronics manufacturing industry

To help boost the development of the local electronics manufacturing sector, STBs will be manufactured locally in high volumes. The South African STB manufacturing sector has the potential to manufacture up to 5.6 million STBs per annum when running at full capacity. This creates an opportunity to build a globally competitive export sector, which is an objective of the Industrial Policy Action Plan. It will spur job creation resulting from the total digital migration value chain.

Background

In February 2007 the Cabinet approved that the digital signal be switched-on on 01 November 2008, and the analogue signal be switched-off on 01 November 2011.

This allows both the digital and the analogue signal to be broadcast concurrently for the period of three years. The period within which both the digital and analogue signal is broadcast is referred to as the dual-illumination period.

Department of Communications is on track to switch on to digital on the 1st November 2008 and will provide digital broadcasting for 2010 and mobile TV during 2010.