Pretoria – Residents living in the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) community of Keimoes and Kai Garib, in the Northern Cape, will be the first people to experience Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) in South Africa.
Making the announcement on Friday, Communications Minister Faith Muthambi said the migration from analogue to digital broadcasting will be concluded before January next year.
“The SKA area in the Northern Cape was identified as the place where (DTT) will start, and we need to conclude the migration from analogue to digital here in this province before 1 January 2016.
“This is the first registration process for TV-owning households since the DTT policy was gazetted by Parliament on 18 March 2015.
“Households in the districts that form part of the SKA radio telescope must visit their local post office from today to apply for a subsidised Set Top Boxe (STB),” she said.
Minister Muthambi was in the area to officially launch the registration process for STBs. While government will distribute five million poor TV-owning households with free STBs, the Minister said in the SKA area alone government will distribute 16 000 STBs for free.
“This demonstrates that our government is hard at work to provide quality television services to the people.
“I must re-emphasise that this is a critical milestone for digital migration. This registration process means that the TV-owning households here in the (SKA) area will now receive fully subsidised (STBs) once they have completed the registration process,” she said.
DTT economic agenda
Minister Muthambi said while people view Broadcasting Digital Migration as a programme that impacts on television services only, there is actually an economic agenda behind its implementation.
This economic agenda includes issues such as the revival and development of the electronic manufacturing industry and broadcasting content development for both the country and the global community.
She said as a result of the implementation of Digital Migration, Africa will be able to produce its own content.
“Spectrum re-farming, which involves the abolition of existing band allocations in the radio spectrum, marks the biggest evolution of broadcasting services since television was introduced in 1925 globally. It is very encouraging to be part of this historic global agenda in our lifetime.
“By implementing digital migration, it is our duty as government to ensure that our people continue to enjoy quality broadcasting services without any interruption,” she said.
Towns around the SKA include: Brandvlei, Britstown, Calvinia, Carnavon, Fraserburg, Groblershoop, Kakamas, Keimoes, Kenhardt, Loeriesfontein, Marydale, Nieuwoudtville, Pofadder, Springbok, Sutherland, Vanwyksvlei, Victoria West and Williston.
“We call on all South Africans to support this programme and Play Your Part in moving South Africa forward.
“We have reached a milestone of actual realisation of the implementation programme where poor people are going to realise the benefit of the evolution of the television system in South Africa, as part of benefits that the South African Government provides for the people.” - SAnews.gov.za
