2 days Ago By Zalene Merrington
Home | Analogue switch-off may be postponed again: Malatsi Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Solly Malatsi says the deadline for the analogue to digital switch-off may have to be postponed yet again. He updated Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on the latest regarding the South African Broadcasting Corporation’s (SABC) digital migration. The deadline for the switch-off is set to happen before the end of December this year.
However, Malatsi says this may not be possible. He says, “The dilemma is there would be serious difficulties to continue with the date as there are thousands of South Africans still dependent on analogue as a source of access to TV services. One of the big dilemmas is covering the cost of dual illumination; where we are now, there isn’t provision for this to happen.
” The Department’s Deputy Director General for ICT Infrastructure Development and Support, Tinyiko Ngobeni, explained to the committee that among others, only 21 transmitters have been switched off, with 174 remaining. Ngobeni added that not enough South Africans have the appropriate decoders installed to enable the process to go ahead. He says, “The agreement with broadcasters is that threshold of 90% who are served by particular transmitter must first be migrated – have their installations to receive digital transmission.
It’s only then that the authorisation will be issued by broadcasters. So the 174, we have not reached that 90% based on that, raises issues around the installation date and connectivity.” SABC © 2024.
