SA unlikely to switch off analogue by 2011

Fri, 03 Jul 2009

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) has admitted that the government’s original deadline of 1 November 2011 for the switch off of the country’s analogue broadcasting signal is “optimistic”. Digital terrestrial television (DTT) trials using 3 000 set top boxes (STBs) commenced on 1 November last year, but no date has been set as yet for the commercial launch of DTT.

Speaking at a press conference in Johannesburg, ICASA chairperson Paris Mashile said that South Africa’s Minister of Communications had met with his SADC counterparts last week and an analogue switch off deadline of 2013 had been set for the region. “However, South Africa hopes to complete its digital migration well before that date. In the meantime we will consult with the Minister regarding the extension of the dual illumination period, where both digital and analogue signals are broadcast. This is because commercial DTT was not launched on 1 November 2008 as originally scheduled.”

Councillor Robert Nkuna announced that the DTT Regulations had been published, as well as the draft Broadcasting Frequency Plan. ICASA was inviting a two-week period for public feedback and hoped to finalise the Broadcasting Frequency Plan by the end of August, after which Mobile TV licences could be issued.

The Authority is strongly encouraging pay-TV broadcaster M-Net to effect a “hard switch-over” within 12 months, after which it would cease analogue broadcasts, thus freeing up more spectrum. ICASA stressed it was committed to promoting competition in the DTT pay-TV arena but was subject to scarcity of spectrum.

There are to be three multiplexes, with one devoted solely to public broadcaster SABC. Ten percent of this multiplex will be temporarily allocated to Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) in the Eastern Cape until a multiplex for community broadcasting is created. Sixty percent of the second multiplex will be allocated to e.tv, on the grounds that it can apply for more capacity once it is fully digital. A third multiplex has been created for M-Net, subject to the broadcaster conducting a hard switch-over. ICASA has decided that Electronic Communications Network Services (ECNS) licences holders will also act as the multiplex operators.

Data provision on the DTT mulitplexes will be limited to 15% of the allocated capacity to ensure that the available capacity is prioritised for the provision of television services. ICASA has, for the same reason, decided not to allow the provision of sound broadcasting services on the DTT multiplexes until after the introduction of an enabling regulatory framework for digital radio.

Mashile spoke at length about the inefficiencies of analogue broadcasting in terms of spectrum usage and about the benefits of DTT. “With DTT eight megahertz can accommodate eight channels, which is eight times more than analogue. There is also the important issue of South African’s preserving their culture. With all the new channels that will be accessible through DTT, we will be able to provide such diversity of content.”

On the question of STBs, the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) is in the process of finalising standardisation of specifications. Once that happens, as per ICASA, any manufacturer will be allowed to produce STBS according to SABS specifications.

About 80% of the population covering the lower LSMs will not be able to afford the STBs. “The government has committed to subsidise STBs for about 4.5 million low income households. We will have to wait for economies of scale to come into play to make the STBs affordable to all. ICASA needs to ensure that the consumer doesn’t suffer,” said Mashile.

A Joint Spectrum Advisory Committee has been formed and consists of broadcasters and ECNS licence holders. This committee has no regulatory mandate and is purely concerned with technical issues relating to frequency (ie. interferences).

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