SA marks first phase of digital migration

Government says this major national milestone forms part of the country’s Broadcasting Digital Migration (BDM) process.

Broadcasting digital migration simply defined means the migration of the broadcasting services from analogue broadcasting technology to digital technologies. 

The primary objective of digital migration is to clear the radio frequency spectrum currently occupied by broadcasters, to enable the provision of wireless mobile broadband services and other innovative applications. 

Therefore, set-top-boxes are to be used in the transition to enable free to air broadcasting services to migrate from analogue to digital television.

However, these will not be permanent in the free to air broadcasting system in South Africa.

"The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) areas in the Northern Cape will be the first to switch off the analogue signal. Analogue transmitters will be switched off in the following towns: Van Wyksvlei; Brandvlei; Williston; Vosburg and Carnarvon," says the department of communications.

Senior government officials, including BDM stakeholders from the Southern African Development Community region, and international information and communications technology bodies such as the International Telecommunication Union are expected to attend the main event. 

The ASO will be undertaken in phases across the nine provinces, starting with the Northern Cape and followed by the Free State, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape and Gauteng.