{"id":379786,"date":"2020-12-10T17:29:27","date_gmt":"2020-12-10T15:29:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/?p=379786"},"modified":"2020-12-10T17:31:13","modified_gmt":"2020-12-10T15:31:13","slug":"lies-incompetence-and-corruption","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/broadcasting\/379786-lies-incompetence-and-corruption.html","title":{"rendered":"Lies, incompetence, and corruption"},"content":{"rendered":"

A performance agreement between President Cyril Ramaphosa and Communications Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams revealed that the target for implementing the digital migration programme is March 2023.<\/p>\n

The Presidency said this agreement aims to strengthen the capacity of the state and increase accountability.<\/p>\n

This target comes after Ndabeni-Abrahams said in September the government is planning to complete the country\u2019s digital migration process by the end of 2021.<\/p>\n

Her comments followed the department\u2019s acting DG, Nomvuyiso Batyi’s statement that South Africa will only complete digital migration by 2022.<\/p>\n

It is currently not clear whether digital migration will happen in 2021, 2022, or 2023. What is clear is what a complete mess this process has been.<\/p>\n

South Africa\u2019s digital migration process started in 2001 and the government proudly announced it would be completed by November 2011.<\/p>\n

Not only did this not happen, but South Africa also missed the ITU\u2019s 17 June 2015 deadline for analogue broadcast switch-off.<\/p>\n

Since then, one deadline after the other was missed while the country remained in desperate need of broadband spectrum which will be freed up by this process.<\/p>\n

What is particularly worrisome is that South Africans have been promised again and again that the digital migration process was on track.<\/p>\n

These lies have become so commonplace that nobody even bats an eyelid when another deadline is missed.<\/p>\n

If you are wondering how the government could mess the digital migration process up so spectacularly, the answer is the usual \u201cincompetence and corruption\u201d.<\/p>\n

The bribery and corruption were mainly related to the standards and procurement of five million set-top boxes.<\/p>\n

The biggest problem, however, was instability and incompetence in the communications department.<\/p>\n

Over the last twelve years, the Department of Communications had twelve ministers, many of whom were involved in questionable activities.<\/p>\n

The lack of continuity in the department and the poor calibre of ministers caused serious damage to the industry. Digital migration and spectrum allocation were two noteworthy casualties.<\/p>\n

The importance of digital migration<\/h3>\n

Digital migration is an essential step towards better mobile broadband in South Africa, as the process will free valuable digital dividend spectrum.<\/p>\n

Digital dividend spectrum, the 700MHz \u2013 800MHz band that can only be allocated once the digital migration in South Africa is completed, can play a key role in reducing data prices.<\/p>\n

Because of its lower frequency (in comparison with 2,100MHz, for example) it is excellent to provide rural and indoor LTE coverage.<\/p>\n

In the absence of digital dividend spectrum, operators have had to re-farm spectrum and build significantly more towers at great expense to provide LTE services.<\/p>\n

The higher network rollout costs are recovered from consumers in the form of higher mobile data prices.<\/p>\n

Mobile operators have committed to data price cuts when additional spectrum is allocated, and digital migration is therefore a key component in lowering data prices.<\/p>\n

Empty promises and lies by politicians<\/h3>\n

To fully understand the frustration by industry players about the delayed digital migration process, one only has to look at what politicians said over the past fifteen years.<\/p>\n

Here is a summary of comments by communications ministers and other politicians about the digital migration process.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Digital Migration Promises<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Who<\/strong><\/td>\nWhen<\/strong><\/td>\nWhat they said<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri<\/strong><\/td>\nJune 2008<\/td>\nThe digital migration process was on track to meet the deadlines.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Siphiwe Nyanda<\/strong><\/td>\nOctober 2009<\/td>\nThe government is\u00a0on track\u00a0to reaching full digital migration by November 2011.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Siphiwe Nyanda<\/strong><\/td>\nOctober 2010<\/td>\nSouth Africa is\u00a0on track\u00a0to begin migrating to digital television broadcasting in 2011.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Roy Padayachee<\/strong><\/td>\nSeptember 2011<\/td>\nSouth Africa is still on track for digital migration.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
November 2011 Deadline Missed<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dina Pule<\/strong><\/td>\nMay 2012<\/td>\nThe switch to digital television broadcasting is\u00a0on track.<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Siyabonga Cwele<\/strong><\/td>\nJuly 2014<\/td>\nThe final broadcasting digital migration policy would be published by the end of the month. This did not happen.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
17 June 2015 ITU Deadline Missed<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Faith Muthambi<\/strong><\/td>\nAugust 2015<\/td>\nThe digital migration programme is on track.`<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Faith Muthambi<\/strong><\/td>\nSeptember 2016<\/td>\nThe broadcasting digital migration project is well on track.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ayanda Dlodlo<\/strong><\/td>\nMay 2017<\/td>\nSignificant progress has been made in the implementation of digital terrestrial television.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ayanda Dlodlo<\/strong><\/td>\nAugust 2017<\/td>\nThere is no intention to delay the process to complete the digital migration process by December 2018.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane<\/strong><\/td>\nDecember 2017<\/td>\nThe new deadline of June 2019 was fixed and South Africa had to meet it.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane<\/strong><\/td>\nJanuary 2018<\/td>\nKubayi-Ngubane promised she would be able to deliver migration on time if she was given adequate resources.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nomvula Mokonyane<\/strong><\/td>\nOctober 2018<\/td>\nA new deadline for analogue switch-off was announced – July 2020.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
December 2018 Deadline Missed<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams<\/strong><\/td>\nDecember 2018<\/td>\nNdabeni-Abrahams said the new July 2020 analogue switch-off date was not set in stone.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
June 2019 Deadline Missed<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams<\/strong><\/td>\nFebruary 2020<\/td>\nThe DoC outlined its plans to fast-track digital migration by the end of 2021.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
July 2020 Deadline Missed<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nomvuyiso Batyi<\/strong><\/td>\nSeptember 2020<\/td>\nSouth Africa will only complete digital migration by 2022.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams<\/strong><\/td>\nSeptember 2020<\/td>\nThe government is still planning to complete the country\u2019s digital migration process by the end of 2021.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams<\/strong><\/td>\nDecember 2020<\/td>\nImplement the digital migration programme by March 2023.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Performance agreement<\/h3>\n

The performance agreement between President Cyril Ramaphosa and Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams is embedded below.<\/p>\n