advertisement
Facebook
X
LinkedIn
WhatsApp
Reddit

Gov’t: Digital migration a step closer as dual signal transmission begins

The Department of Communications says it’s on track with successfully migrating to digital terrestrial television as it kicks off a major step in the process today.

According to the Minister of Communications, Faith Muthambi, today marks the start of the dual illumination period, where the new digital TV signal and the old analogue signal are transmitted at the same time.

Once the dual illumination period is over, the analogue signal will be completely shut off and all South African households will have to have a set-top-box already installed in their house to receive the digital signal.

The new digital migration deadline was set late last year after the 17th June deadline was missed and is now to be met by June this year.

“The picture is now coming together, from gazetting the Broadcasting Digital Migration Policy on the 18th of March 2015, to the first installation of set-top-boxes on 17th of December in the Northern Cape. We are now in the dual illumination phase, it’s truly exciting,” Muthambi said.

Over 2 200 households in the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) area in the Northern Cape who qualify for a free set-to-box were handed one by the Post Office in the first phase of distribution.

The communications department also said the number of households registration for a set-top-box is growing steadily, with up to 250 registrations in the Northern Cape and Free State.

It remains to be seen however, whether or not government will meet the deadline, having been notorious for missing a few in the recent past.

[Source – South African Government News Agency, image –  CC Mark Turnauckas]

advertisement

About Author

advertisement

Related News

advertisement