Name and Location
Digital broadcasting migration project, South Africa.

Client
The Department of Communications (DoC) and Sentech.

Project Description
Digital terrestrial television (DTT) is the implementation of digital technology to provide more channels and/or better picture quality and sound through a conventional television antenna or aerial, instead of a satellite dish or cable connection.

In 2005, State-owned enterprise Sentech announced plans to roll out DTT, using digital video broadcasting terrestrial (DVB-T) technology, in time for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Initially, there will be two DVB-T transmitters for each location or site.

The first phase of the project involves upgrading the Sentech broadcast network and duplicating the current analogue network channels on a digital system.

Most of the 220 sites needed to broadcast DTT to 92% of South Africa's population are already in place, but need to be upgraded to become fully digital. Once that process has been completed, DTT and analogue systems will run simultaneously (a dual-illumination process) until South Africa is ready to switch off analogue transmission. This decision will be made by government.

A set-top box (STB) will be required to decode the signal, even for public broadcasting and free-to-air channels. The STBs are expected to be subsidised.

Value
The upgrade is expected to cost R1-billion.

Supplying the STBs will cost an estimated R2.45-billion.

Duration
According to an agreement with the International Telecommunications Union, the country has until 2015 to complete the migration, after which it will no longer have exclusive use of the frequencies.

Latest Developments
The DoC has embarked on a review of the independent recommendations of broadcasters on the conditional access control over the subsidised STBs required for South Africa’s DTT migration.

The DoC has met with State-owned broadcaster, the South African Broadcasting Corporation, and free-to-air broadcaster e.tv, besides others, for the second time to review the options available to fast-track the implementation of DTT.

In 2012, e.tv filed a lawsuit against Communications Minister Dina Pule for appointing Sentech to manage conditional access to subsidised STBs. The DoC is appealing the South Gauteng High Court’s decision of ruling in favour of the broadcaster.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
None stated.

On Budget and on Time?
South Africa’s migration from analogue to DTT could be delayed by three years if broadcasters and the DoC failed to fast-track a decision on conditional access control over subsidised STBs.

The DoC, which is appealing the South Gauteng High Court’s decision in December 2012 to grant conditional access control to broadcasters instead of the DoC-appointed Sentech, has said that the matter needs to be dealt with urgently or the country will miss the migration deadline.

South Africa has until 2015 to complete the migration, after which it will no longer have exclusive use of the frequencies.

Contact Details for Project Information
DoC, tel +27 12 427 8000 or fax +27 12 427 8016; or spokesperson Tiyani Rikhotso, cell +27 83 800 9936 or email tiyani@doc.gov.za; or digital migration project leader Themba Phiri, tel +27 12 427 8146 or fax +27 12 427 8059.
DoC Go Digital, tel +27 800 463 444, fax +27 11 399 6023 or email info@godigitalsa.co.za.
Sentech, tel +27 11 691 7000.