Set-top box control bad for the poor

It called on government to provide free STBs to everyone, rather than only to the 5 million poorest households.
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Even I think the above is unreasonable. Selling them at cost or below cost to the rest of us would be fair, assuming that cost means that we won't be subsidizing the 5 million free STB's.
 
Box control makes it possible for those who are unable to pay fees to have their TV signals cut, in much the same way as water and electricity is routinely cut off to poor households that cannot afford to pay.
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If I cannot pay for something I have to learn to live without it. Horrible, but that is the way of life.
 
People already pay for newspapers. Televisions are not primarily used for information, but entertainment. This Right2Know group really needs to be disbanded.
 
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All I want is NOT to have to pay for box so that I then don't have to pay for a TV license.

So I say charge away, just make sure that I don't need to pay for crap I don't ever use.
 
Should play well into the ANC's hands with the population becoming even less informed than they already are. Probably going to add another decade onto their rule.

Genius move by the ANC.
 
5 Million Top Boxes are going to add to Eskom’s woes.
 
I was hoping that the rules would have (Conditional Access Module) CAM, so that the STB could be used as competition to DSTV.

What is being proposed with security just inflates the cost of the STB and also limits the models/features available.
Seems that the STB will be a custom device unique to South Africa, which means it will be expensive.
Many TV's can be purchased with DVB-T2 tuner included - I suspect these won't work in South Africa because of the security.

They should have either CAM or nothing.
 
And so it starts. Add another 3 years for digital migration.

Totempole said:
Even I think the above is unreasonable. Selling them at cost or below cost to the rest of us would be fair, assuming that cost means that we won't be subsidizing the 5 million free STB's.
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STB's can be pretty cheap without the security. Don't see a reason they can't give them out to those that pay their tv license.
 
It's not just the boxes that will be given free.

http://www.itweb.co.za/index.php?op...ital-TV-costs-balloon-out-of-control&catid=49

Cabinet initially set aside R2.45 billion to subsidise decoders for the poor, but that was only at half the price of the box, for five million homes. This amount was also before government decided to subsidise aerials, and fully cover the cost of boxes, and also does not take into account other expenditure – such as content production and installation.

In addition, the Universal Service and Access Agency of SA's (USAASA's) most recent presentation to the Parliamentary portfolio committee on communications indicates the number of homes that need free boxes could be as high as eight million. USAASA is meant to issue tenders for decoders and aerials for 5.2 million Cabinet-approved homes this month, and these bids have been said to be worth as much as R4.3 billion.

USAASA will also enlist private companies to handle installation of the decoders and aerials, while the strike-beset South African Post Office will handle delivery logistics, says Shinn. She adds: "The full costs are exceptionally opaque. I increasingly feel …that we are heading towards a disastrous rollout."
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How much will a STB tv cost.. does one need a satellite dish or special type of antenna..

Watch this space everyone who purchases a STB will need to produce their tv licence in order to qualify for the discounted price.
 
How will it be decided who qualifies for a free unit? Does anybody else foresee a problem here? :rolleyes:
 
MagicDude4Eva said:
What - the poor don't pay TV licenses like everyone else?
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This. If someone has paid their TV licence they should get the box for free.

Encourages people to pay their TV licence if they want to use the digital TV box. They will probably be able to disable the box if you stop paying TV licence also.
 
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