The Department of Communications (DOC) has yet to make a decision on which standard to use for SA's digital TV, despite the November 2011 deadline for migration.
Speaking before Parliament's communications committee today, communications minister Siphiwe Nyanda said he was still awaiting a final report on the outcome of a government and industry colloquium, held more than a month ago.
“I have received a preliminary report on that colloquium, but I am still awaiting a final report, and the final decision on what standard to adopt will be made by Cabinet. I have not yet taken any of this to Cabinet,” he said.
The DOC surprised broadcasters and manufacturers at the end of April when it called them into a colloquium to discuss the possibility of introducing a different standard to the one on which they have been building their migration plans.
During today's hearings on what progress is being made in converting SA's 35-year-old broadcasting system to digital, Members of Parliament expressed concerns over the DOC's decision to possibly change the standard halfway through the migration process.
The boxing ring
SA adopted the European DVB standard in 2005, when the South African Standards Bureau approved it as the local digital broadcasting option, and all digital migration trials since 2007 have been conducted on this standard.
However, the DOC has been researching a Japanese standard called ISDB, which has been implemented in Brazil. Speculation holds that the DOC is entertaining the new standard because of possible trade negotiations between the two countries.
More concerning is that national signal distributor Sentech is already about 40% of the way into installing new digital broadcast transponders, technology using the DVB standard. Sentech's roll-out is expected to cost around R1 billion.
Democratic Alliance representative on the committee Niekie van den Berg asked the minister whether implementing the new standard would have a financial impact, because the Japanese standard has never been implemented on the same frequency (8MHz) as the one SA is planning to use.
He also asked what the cost implications would be to the poor, as the set-top boxes would cost more.
Nyanda said these issues were still being investigated by the DOC; however, he added that the lobbying conducted by various parties and the media had “painted the issues in a certain light”.
Equally good
Nyanda said this morning that a team from the DOC went to Brazil to examine how that country had implemented the Japanese standard. He explained that the visit prompted the DOC to review the standards currently being used, despite the looming deadline for broadcasters to switch to digital.
As many have noted, Nyanda said there was very little difference between the European and Japanese standards in their technical capabilities. “The Japanese mast has a wider coverage area and has a built-in capability for mobile TV,” he said.
While there is little to distinguish the two standards, DVB's evolution, DVB2, does have built-in capability to support mobile TV, a fact pointed out by the DVB representative at the colloquium.
What about Africa?
Nyanda also spoke briefly about the Southern African Development Community conference that occurred three weeks ago, when the European and Japanese representatives presented their standards.
“The incumbents again made presentations...whatever decision is taken by SA or the region will by influence impact Africa as a whole,” he said.
While his support seems to be for the Japanese standard, he did say investments made by the Southern African countries into DVB have to be taken into account.
In 2006, all the SADC countries agreed to take on the DVB standard as the primary technology for the entire region. At the same time, the International Telecoms Union decided the digital migration process needs to be completed by 2015.
The region is supposed to use the same technology standard, so that there will be a good flow of skills and technologies between the countries in the area. Mauritius has already started its digital migration process and has 70% set-top box penetration on the standard.
Getting clarity
Nyanda this morning reiterated the DOC's stance that the final decision on the standard needs to take SA's developmental needs into account. He also acknowledged that political considerations would have to be considered; however, he did not spell those out.
Independent Democrats committee member Patricia de Lille also questioned the minister's information, asking which documentation he based his discussion on. Nyanda replied that his comments were not based on any documents and he was just talking as a means to brief the committee.
She also suggested representatives that demonstrated the value of each of the standards at the colloquium should present to the committee. Nyanda said if the committee decided to hold hearings on the different standards, it would be their own business.
Extending the date
It also appears the DOC may well extend the date of full migration, following a question posed by ANC committee member Eric Kuwana, who asked if implementing a new standard would impact the November 2011 deadline for analogue switch-off.
Nyanda referred the question to the Independent Communications Authority of SA, which has recommended the date be pushed out. “I have heard it said that the November 2011 switch-off date was never achievable,” Nyanda said.
Broadcasters hold firm that the introduction of the new standard now could push out the migration process by up to five years.