Digital migration
One of the greatest constraints on the technological development of the economy has been the unacceptable delay in the migration of broadcasting from analogue to digital. The switch-off of analogue transmission has been completed in a number of provinces.
As announced in the State of the Nation Address last year, the other provinces will move to digital signal by the end of March 2022. As part of this process, government will continue to subsidise low-income households so that they can access a set-top box and make the switch to digital TV.
The communications regulator, Independent Communications Authority of South Africa, will commence with the auctioning of the high frequency communications spectrum in about three weeks from now.
This will unlock new spectrum for mobile telecommunications for the first time in over a decade. In addition, government will facilitate the rapid deployment of broadband infrastructure across all municipalities by establishing a standard model for the granting of municipal permissions.
These reforms will revolutionise the country’s technological development, making faster broadband accessible to more people and reducing the costs of digital communications.
Related links
- Department of Communications and Digital Technologies - Digital migration
- Department of Communications and Digital Technologies - Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT)
Source: State of the Nation Address Highlights [PDF]
