While the tug of war over the implementation of the country's digital migration project persists, Sentech will continue to support the dual illumination broadcast phase until the digital migration issue is resolved.
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.
In the Estimates of National Expenditure document, handed out to mark today's Budget 2017 speech, the Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services (DTPS) says Sentech will continue to maintain both platforms.
The DTPS notes R193 million has been reprioritised in the 2017/2018 financial year from the allocation for subsidies for set-top boxes (STBs) to Sentech to cover dual illumination costs.
"An amount of R176.4 million is allocated to Sentech for expenditure related to the migration of digital signals over the medium-term. Spending on these activities is expected to amount to R1.3 billion over the medium-term in the digital terrestrial television sub-programme in the infrastructure support programme."
In addition, the SA Post Office (SAPO), one of the entities the telecoms department manages, will receive R240 million in 2017/2018 for the distribution of 1.8 million STBs.
Despite the many woes it faces, SAPO was selected by the South African government to register qualifying households and distribute digital TV decoders to citizens.
The South African government plans to provide five million government-subsidised STBs to indigenous TV-owning households across the country.
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