There is no doubt that digital terrestrial television (DTT) will benefit the citizens of this country, as well as government, which has championed broadcasting as a critical information delivery mechanism for all South Africans.
According to Sentech's CEO, Dr Sebiletso Mokone-Matabane, who was speaking at a recent press briefing on digital terrestrial television (DTT), the company has started the move to DTT, which will take South Africa into the digital television age and bring an enhanced viewing experience into the living rooms of most South Africans.
"Government has already committed to fund R208 million to Sentech over three years and we have already commenced rolling out DTT infrastructure," he says. Sentech is presently in discussions with government to provide further funding options, which will be required to complete the digitisation roll-out. In these discussions, Mokone-Matabane adds that government has shown full commitment to make the required funding available.
South Africa is part of the global community in terms of trade and commerce, technology and standards among others. It is also an affiliate of international bodies such as the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). The ITU is an organisation of the United Nations where governments and the private sector work together to address issues of common interest. At its recent conference the ITU agreed to set the deadline of June 2015 for Africa Regions to have migrated to digital broadcasting. According to Mokone-Matabane, South Africa is aiming to migrate before this time.
Latest update
DTT test transmissions commenced in March 2006 from Sentech's main broadcast tower site in Brixton, Johannesburg. The first phase involves upgrading the Sentech broadcast network and duplicating the current analog network channels on a digital system. Sentech anticipates the first phase of network upgrades will take two years, with digital migration commencing in 2008.
"Most of the 220 sites needed to broadcast DTT to 92% of South Africa's population are in fact already in place and only need to be upgraded to become fully digital," says Mokone-Matabane. Once that process is complete, DTT and analog systems will be run side-by-side until South Africa is ready to switch off analog transmission, a decision that will be made by government.
FIFA World Cup 2010
According to Sentech, by 2009 all the requirements of the FIFA World Cup 2010 broadcasting requirements will be met by Sentech. In the Sentech Annual Report 2006, it states that the completion for World Cup 2010 is also dependent on the Department of Communication's Digital Broadcasting Advisory Committee, who will submit a draft report on DTT policy by the end of 2006, as well as final funding required to complete the DTT roll-out.
About the benefits of DTT – Sentec
DTT will give users access to a multichannel, multiplatform viewing experience and will bring true convergence into living rooms. Digital TV sets will increasingly become integrated with fixed and mobile broadband networks, allowing viewers to switch easily between watching television, surfing the Internet, or even doing online shopping. DTT will thus open the way to combine the pay-per-view services and the Internet with the simplicity of television.
By being able to deliver multiple channels on the same platform and multiple language offerings per channel, government will be investing in a technology that delivers higher technical quality and potentially more relevant content to citizens. Even more interesting is DTT’s ability to facilitate interactivity, allowing users to not only find and view information relevant to their needs, but respond to it as well by asking questions and expressing their views. This will allow government to take the next step in e-government and meet overall goals of socio-economic development by providing a host of e-services such as e-learning and e-health.
Another benefit of DTT will be the clearer, sharper pictures provided by DTT, without the interference and ghosting that some residents of built-up areas or hilly terrain sometimes experience. DTT also offers a wide screen format.
Costs
A set-top box costing approximately not more than R500 each is required to decode the signal, even for public broadcasting service and free-to-air channels. Although the cost of the set-top boxes should reduce significantly over the next four years, they will still need to be subsidised if the main aim of reaching the masses in a relatively short time is to be achieved.
For more information contact Pranill Ramchander, Sentech, +27 (0)11 691 7256, [email protected]
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