publishes Digital Terrestrial Television regulations for final public
consultation
2 April 2009
The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) has
published the Digital Terrestrial Television regulations for final public
consultation. The regulations have five main objectives which are to set out
the time frames for the rollout of the digital terrestrial television
throughout the country, provide accessible and quality television broadcasting,
prescribe a procedure and conditions for assignment of multiplexes to the
existing television broadcasting services, to regulate the transmission of
terrestrial broadcasting services from analogue transmission to digital
terrestrial transmission during the dual illumination period. The regulations
will further seek to provide for the allocation and authorisation of digital
incentive channels.
The authority held the first public hearings in November 2008. With this
consultation process, the authority also seeks to consult on the following new
issues: provision for the dual illumination period, link the introduction of
competition with the end of the dual illumination period, provide a mechanism
to deal with offences and penalties, allow for trials by other interested
persons, enable for the provision of mobile services such as Digital Video
Broadcasting âHandheld (DVB-H) on the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT)
multiplex, provide for M-Net to conduct a hard switch over within a period of
12 months, thus allowing an early release of the digital dividend.
Interested parties are encouraged to submit written representations by 30
April 2009 for the attention of Ms Refilwe Ramatlo using any of the following
means:
The input from the public will be used in the finalisation of the
regulations.
All media enquiries should be directed to:
Sekgoela Sekgoela
Tel: 011 566 3455
Fax: 011 566 3456
Cell: 079 492 3450
E-mail: ssekgoela@icasa.org.za
Issued by: Independent Communications Authority of South Africa
2 April 2009
