Budget 2016: Although SA's digital migration process is handled by the Department of Communications (DOC), the telecoms ministry says it will focus on supporting the rollout of broadcasting digital migration in the country over the medium-term.
In 2014, president Jacob Zuma moved to split the communications department and established the Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services.
In the Estimates of National Expenditure, the document handed out with the budget speech this afternoon, minister Siyabonga Cwele noted his department will continue to support the DOC as SA migrates to digital terrestrial television (DTT).
"The South African Post Office has been tasked with the distribution of set-top boxes (STBs) and antennae to identified qualifying households, and receives an increase of R480 million in the ICT Infrastructure Support Programme over the medium-term for this purpose," the document reads.
"Sentech will also be preparing to migrate digital signals, and receives an increase of R113 million in the ICT Infrastructure Support Programme," the document adds.
The R480 million will be used to subsidise STBs for 766 242 poor TV-owning households.
Government has promised to subsidise five million poor TV-owning households with free STBs for the digital migration process.
South Africa missed the 17 June 2015 deadline set by the International Telecommunication Union for all member countries to migrate from an analogue to a DTT signal. However, the DOC installed the first batch of government-subsidised STBs in the Northern Cape last December.
Cashing in
The department explains that in ensuring accessibility and affordable ICT, it will also be tabling an ICT white paper and establish the Ikamva eSkills Institute and support the Post Office's strategic turnaround plan.
To ensure the growth and sustainability of the postal sector, it will support the Post Office's strategies, says the department.
According to the estimates document, an additional R650 million is allocated to the Post Office for the 2016/2017 financial year for the recapitalisation of the entity.
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