The South African government is forging ahead with its plans to switch off analogue TV signals on 31 March.
Communications and digital technologies minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni yesterday announced in a statement that 31 March will mark the end of dual-illumination in South Africa.
This is despite broadcaster eMedia approaching the courts to challenge government’s plan to expedite the digital TV migration process.
The company believes the move to switch-off analogue signals at the end of this month will kill the businesses of free-to-air broadcasters.
Etv, owned by eMedia, is the first and only privately-owned free-to-air television station in SA.
Dual-illumination, or simulcast, is the interim period in which both analogue and digital signals are allowed to be transmitted at the same time before the analogue signal is switched off.
At the end of the dual-illumination period, all analogue television broadcasts will cease.
Last year, more than R200 million was allocated to signal distributor Sentech for the dual-illumination broadcast phase.
Long process
In its statement, the communications department says in 2006, South Africa acceded to the International Telecommunication Union Regional Agreement in Geneva that determined that region one countries must migrate from analogue television to digital television by 17 June 2015.
To this effect, it notes, South Africa is on a journey of migrating television services from analogue to digital.
“We developed the Broadcast Digital Migration (BDM) policy, established the DTT [digital terrestrial television] migration regulations, and modernised the television distribution technology to ensure readiness for the digital migration process,” says the department.
It adds the president announced during the 2021 State of the Nation Address that the country will cease to broadcast analogue services on 31 March 2022.
“We have successfully achieved to provide digital signal coverage for broadcasters to enable DTT migration in South Africa.
“Secondly, the government of South Africa is supporting indigent households to migrate from analogue to digital.”
According to the department, Ntshavheni has, therefore, in terms of paragraph 3.3.1 of the BDM policy published in Government Notice No 958, Government Gazette No 31408 of 8 September 2008, as amended, determined 31 March 2022 as the date for the final switch-off of the analogue signal and the end of dual-illumination in South Africa.
She has also considered conditions for the end of the dual-illumination period as per ICASA Digital Migration Regulations published in Government Gazette No 36000 of 14 December 2012, and satisfied herself that the conditions as per the regulations have been met as follows:
(a) That the electronic communications network service licensee, Sentech, appointed to provide signal distribution services to the SABC, has ensured the digital broadcast signal for the SABC has reached 100% through the terrestrial and the satellite networks; and
(b) The coverage requirements for Multiplexes 1 and 2 based on the terrestrial television broadcasting service licensees’ conditions have been met, for those licensees who have appointed an electronic communications network service licensee to provide signal distribution services.
The minister has also considered progress with the implementation of the Cabinet decision to assist indigent TV-owning households with access to set-top boxes.
According to the department, Ntshavheni is satisfied with the number of indigent households that have registered for government assistance vis-à-vis number of available set-top boxes, progress with set-top boxes installations and progress with the analogue switch-off in various provinces.
Releasing high‐demand spectrum
The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies has placed completing digital migration, providing policy directions for 5G deployment, and ending local production and importing analogue TV sets at the top of its priorities list over the medium-term.
It laid bare its plans in the Estimates of National Expenditure (ENE) document, handed out to coincide with the 2022 National Budget last month.
In the ENE document, it stated it will mainly focus on implementing the BDM programme in order to release high‐demand spectrum.
After missing the International Telecommunication Union-mandated June 2015 migration deadline, the South African government has made numerous attempts to conclude the digital migration process, which will make way for the country’s long-awaited spectrum allocation.
The country has, nonetheless, been making huge strides in the digital switchover of late.
Last month, Limpopo became the fifth province to have its analogue signal switched off. With Limpopo, Ntshavheni’s ministry has switched off analogue transmission in a total of five provinces, to date.
Other provinces to go digital include Free State, Northern Cape, North West and Mpumalanga, according to the department.
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