Analogue services above 694 MHz will be switched off effective July 31, 2023, as the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) progresses towards a final switch-off date of December 31, 2024.
Speaking during an update on South Africa’s broadcast digital migration (BDM) programme, Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Mondli Gungubele said that a two-step approach to the analogue switch-off hasdbeen adopted.
This follows a consolidation of the BDM objectives with the outcomes of the two-phase consultation process with industry players, broadcasters, signal distributors and the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa that started in December last year.
“A two-step approach toward the analogue switch-off is deemed a viable option for the industry, expected to be a win-win,” he said, noting that the department had the support of all stakeholders.
With the stakeholders now in alignment, South Africa is back on course to achieve the long-delayed digital migration, which was initially set to be completed by 2015.
The department, which has experienced several delays, court cases and false starts on the country’s migration, has been steadily switching off the analogue frequency, with five provinces already switched off.
While the two-step plan allows for the temporary accommodation of some of the highly populous areas using the sub-694 MHz until December 2024, 51 transmitters will be cleared on July 31 this year, including cross-border sites that may cause interference with neighbouring countries.
The BDM project comprises the migration of households to a digital television signal and switching off the analogue transmission, which will release valuable spectrum for the rollout of fifth-generation mobile networks and contribute to the reduction of the cost of data.