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New model for digital migration to be phased in from March

26th October 2018

By: Natasha Odendaal

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

     

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The new delivery model for the digital migration process will be phased in from March, the Department of Communications (DoC) says.

Communications Minister Nomvula Mokonyane says that the revised delivery model will see government step back from its involvement in the procurement of set-top boxes (STBs) and the warehousing, transport and installation of the devices.

The new model for the implementation of the broadcast digital migration project adopts a market/retail-driven approach through collaboration and partnerships with the private sector and industry.

“Government will then rightfully [play] its role of providing policy certainty and oversight to create an enabling environment,” Mokonyane explains. However, the new model will also continue to subsidise indigent television viewing households.

The DoC will continue to have the remaining STBs it has already procured distributed ahead of the implementation of the new broadcast digital migration model next year.

None of the expenditure or procurements undertaken to date will go to waste, nor has expenditure been solely on the decoders, the DoC says, noting that the Universal Service and Access Agency of South Africa (Usaasa) and the South African Post Office (Sapo) will continue with the distribution of the remaining STBs using the old model until all the decoders have been distributed.

“The new delivery model . . . does not make the already procured decoders absolute or nonusable,” Mokonyane assures.

Further, clarifying earlier reports, she states that the subsidised STB procurement did not amount to the reported R10-billion in expenditure to date for the multistakeholder project, but rather the accumulation of infrastructure build, distributions, installations and public awareness programmes, besides others.

State-owned Usaasa has spent R938.4-million – R603.4-million on the procurement of 880 128 STBs and R334.9-million on antennas and satellite dishes.

Usaasa had an allocation of R2.3-billion for one-million digital terrestrial television (DTT) STBs, 500 000 direct-to-home (DTH) STBs, one-million antennas and 500 000 satellite dishes, says Usaasa CEO Lumko Mtimde.

“Usaasa’s role was the development of the criteria/means test to determine qualifying households, manage the disbursement of subsidy funds, and appoint, manage and monitor the DTT/DTH STB manufacturers, and the antennas, satellite dishes and installation companies.”

During the Phase 1 implementation stage of the project, the entity placed an order for 1.5-million STBs, with the 880 128 STBs delivered to Sapo.

About 486 077 STBs have been installed in the homes of the subsidised beneficiaries, while the balance remains stored in Sapo warehouses, barring a few in transit, through installers, to the beneficiaries.

“Usaasa and Sapo will continue unhindered with the implementation [strategy] for the remaining STBs using the old model. The remaining STBs that are warehoused at Sapo will be distributed and installed until the stock is depleted, at which time there will be no new orders from Usaasa,” the entity explains.

Bulk installations are currently being rolled out in the Free State, the Northern Cape and the North West.

Edited by Martin Zhuwakinyu
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

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