Goodbye analogue TV — Hello 4G and 5G
The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) has proposed 31 March 2023 as the switch-off date for analogue broadcast signals in South Africa.
During a media briefing on the progress of the broadcast digital migration programme, Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said it would take just over three months to complete the remaining set-top box (STB) installations.
STBs are decoder-like devices some households will need to translate digital TV signals into a format older TVs with analogue tuners can display.
“I hereby give notice to the industry and affected parties of my intention to determine 31 March 2023 as the analogue switch-off date and the end of [the] dual illumination period,” Ntshavheni said.
“Industry and affected parties are invited to make substantive representations either in support [of] or opposing the proposed date.”
She noted that government published the proposed date and invitation for comment in Government Gazette number 47697 on Friday, 9 December 2022.
“In addition, industry players have also been sent letters requesting their substantive submissions by 27 January 2023,” Ntshavheni added.
She noted that the analogue switch-off must be concluded without further delay to allow telecommunication network operators to decongest networks with the deployment of 4G and 5G.
“The quality of connectivity is degrading across the country, and some areas have completely lost network coverage,” Ntshavheni said.
“We have already started receiving reports of cross-interference between broadcasting and IMT services. Something we do not want to occur at all.”
The minister said it is important to note that broadcasters are no longer protected in the relevant frequencies.
“There is no way we can protect the broadcasters, so if we delay analogue switch-off, we are going to have degradation of the broadcasting services as well,” she said.
“The network providers are entitled to demand that their services take preference.”
Regarding STB installations and registrations, Ntshavheni said 201,824 registrations were completed between April and September 2022 — an average of 33,638 per month.
The minister said there were 185,382 outstanding installations as of 30 November 2022, and at a rate of 49,417 a month, it will take just over three months to complete the installations.
Ntshavheni had previously set a deadline of 30 June 2022 for South Africa’s analogue switch-off.
However, the Constitutional Court declared the 30 June cut-off date irrational and unlawful in a unanimous judgement in favour of E-tv.
“The decision of the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies not to give notice and take account of representations received on the analogue switch-off date is unlawful and is set aside,” it ruled.
“The Minister’s decision to determine the deadline for registration of set-top boxes to be 31 October 2021, without considering the number of people who will be adversely affected by the analogue switch-off, tainted the process with irrationality.”
This was the outcome of the latest battle between the communications minister and E-tv owner E-Media.
In March 2022, Ntshavheni called on the broadcaster to desist from further attempts to delay South Africa’s migration to digital TV.
This came after the Pretoria High Court’s ruling that extended the country’s analogue switch-off deadline from 31 March 2022 to 30 June 2022.
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