Sentech has long blamed a lack of funding for its lackluster performance and at a recent Parliamentary Communications Committee presentation on its 2008\/09 strategy and budget, the parastatal tried to drive the idea home again. <\/p>\n
Sentech CEO Dr Sebeletso Mokone-Matabane said that the organisation needed more government funding across the board so as to reach its Digital Terrestrial Television migration, 2010 FIFA World Cup and broadband goals.<\/p>\n
Looking at Broadcasting Signal Distribution, Mokone-Matabane said that funding shortfalls by government and the big changes in the exchange rate were the chief challenges facing Sentech.<\/p>\n
She explained that phase one and phase two of the migration to Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) had been successfully completed. However, phase three, which started on 1 April 2008, had a funding allocation of only R150 million out of the R262.7 million required. <\/p>\n
She said the planned DTT roll out, giving 56% population coverage by 31 March 2009, would not be achieved due to the reduced funding allocation. Only 18 sites (40%) as opposed to 36 (56%) would be live.<\/p>\n
Mokone-Matabane said that Sentech would meet their 2010 World Cup obligations for which R300 million had been allocated. <\/p>\n
On Sentech’s telecommunications and broadband projects, Mokone-Matabane said that no final decision had been reached between the communications department and the treasury about the business plan and funding model for the National Wholesale Broadband Network project. <\/p>\n
According to Sentech, only R500 million of a R3.1 billion funding requirement had been allocated by government. <\/p>\n