Digital TV set-top box price estimate slashed
The price of a set-top box (STB), which many South Africans will need to watch digital TV in future, will be around R400, deputy director-general of the Department of Communications (DoC), Themba Phiri, recently told the Select Committee for Labour and Public Enterprises.
This is significantly less than the R700 STBs were expected to cost.
Viewers that depend on Sentech’s terrestrial broadcast received through a normal roof antenna or “bunny ears” will need an STB, and in some cases a new antenna, to continue watching TV.
STB subsidies for South Africa’s poorest citizens amounting to R940-million have been ring-fenced at the Universal Service and Access Agency of South Africa, Phiri said.
Despite the lower STB cost, an additional R2.635-billion in subsidies was needed.
Combined with the DoC’s R800-million shortfall for its DTT awareness campaign, the SABC’s technology upgrade, and Sentech’s dual illumination requirements, the total budget shortfall is around R7-billion, Phiri said.
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