The switch to digital television broadcasting is on track, communications minister Dina Pule told MPs on Tuesday. “I want to affirm to this house that we are on course on the DTT [digital terrestrial television] process,” she said in the opening debate on her department’s budget in the National Assembly.
Pule said “substantial progress” had been made during the past financial year towards implementation of the broadcasting digital migration policy.
The deadline for the switch-off of analogue broadcasts — which will require television viewers to purchase a set-top box (STB) to interpret the digital signal — is June 2015.
On the STBs, Pule said there was enough capacity to manufacture these locally. “We shall finalise the selection process of suitable STB manufacturers in the first quarter of this financial year.”
The Independent Communications Authority of SA had started to finalise DTT regulations. “It is envisaged that the final gazette will be published in June 2012.”
Pule said the SABC, Sentech, and the Universal Service & Access Agency of SA would play a key role in helping the department to deliver digital broadcasting to the country.
Sentech had already achieved digital signal coverage to more than 60% of the population on the DVB-T2 transmission standard. “We have launched the DTT awareness campaign, where we are educating the SA public to understand what digital broadcasting means, and the need for them to take action,” Pule said. — Sapa