DISBOOK - The Africa 2012 Edition - (Page 113)

Tr e n d s a n d b u si n e ss - Disbook AfricA 2012 Africa’s digital switchover is coming—The question is when? The International Telecommunication Union has formally set the date of June 2015 for Africa’s switch from analogue to digital transmission. However with the Association for progressive communication reporting that only six African countries are about to start digital transmission in parallel with analogue, nine carrying out pilot transmissions and twenty eight having apparently done nothing at all, it seems as if the majority of African countries will not make this date. christophe Limmer, senior Manager Market development Africa at satellite provider sEs, and Guillaume pierre, directeur Afrique at canal +, examine the state of preparation and the consequences of missing the date. To begin on a positive note Christophe Limmer, Senior Manager Market Development Africa at satellite provider SES, points out that, “At this stage no African country has officially declared that it won’t achieve the June 2015 deadline set down by the ITU,” although he is quick to qualify that apparent optimism by acknowledging, “Progress is slow in the majority of countries, which indicates that many will struggle to achieve digital migration on time.” Although he does point out that some countries will make it, “Ghana,” he says, “has developed a clear road map to follow and is working hard to achieve its selfimposed deadline of 2013, and both South Africa and Kenya have claimed that they might make digital migration before 2015. Indeed Kenya, which is phasing in digital migration, is hoping that Nairobi will have the analogue signal switched off by the end of this year.” Guillaume Pierre, Directeur Afrique at Canal +, agrees with that assessment, declaring, “There are a few African countries which will make the June 2015 deadline for the switch to digital, but not that many. Ghana,” he believes, “is looking good for that date, or close to it, and maybe one or two in East Africa, but that’s about it. The fact is,” continues Pierre, “that date is already slipping, with some countries talking about a switch in 2017, and some a switch as late as 2020. So I think the reality is that Africa will go digital on a progressive basis between 2015 and 2020.” If this is the case, then two questions immediately arise—why is it that so many African countries seem unlikely to meet the deadline, and secondly, what will be the consequences for those that miss it? One of the main challenges to digital migration identified by Limmer is that, “Digital terrestrial television cannot provide the required reach and bandwidth on its own.” Other challenges identified by Limmer include: A decision regarding the technical standard and the compression standard. A decision whether or not to encrypt, and if so, what will be the conditional access. A decision regarding receiver specifications. Whether the new services which digital will allow for will be supplied by existing broadcasters or by new players. Who will produce the new content? What will be the business model on which this new content is supplied to the consumer? The cost of set top boxes. Can all consumers afford them, and, if not, will they be subsidised? Frequency issues, especially at national borders. Creation of communication campaigns. The availability and distribution of equipment. Pierre agrees with many of Limmer’s points, although some, such as the issue of frequencies at the border, he does not see as a major problem in reality, although he does agree that, “Superficially, it is the main issue.” Pierre goes on to explain, “At the moment, the ITU guarantees each country’s frequencies in analogue. This prevents disputes, especially around borders, and stops countries from trying to use the same frequencies and therefore interfering with each other. After the agreed date for digital switchover, these guarantees will be for digital frequencies only, and 11 3  http://www.ses-astra.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of DISBOOK - The Africa 2012 Edition

Cover
Foreword - Welcome to Johannesburg!
Content
Conference Program
- English Version
- Version Française
Joburg Vibes
- Street Talks
- Drum Archive
- Made in Maboneng
- The Bioscope
- Faces
First Look
- Watercolors of love - Siri
- Mooz-Lum - Meet the Adebanjo’s
- Irrational Heart - Destiny River
- City of Men - Black hands
Trends & Business
- Made in Africa / Made for Africa
- The titans of laamb
- Inside «Inside Story»
- Ecology of african audiovisual content industry
- Gems from the namibian film collection
- The century of formats
- Great formats will come from Africa
- Partners wanted
- How many people (really) watch TV in Africa?
- Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ?
- Africa’s digital switchover is coming - The question is when ?
- Intelsat’s epic
- China in Africa
- Zee : from a to z
- The Brazilians are coming !
- Against all odds
- Discover Discovery in Africa at Discop Africa
- Television with a purpose - A detailed look at educational television
- Branded Entertainment
- Hot docs-Blue ice, a unique opportunity for African documentary makers
- A solution to Africa’s thorny problem of dubbing costs
- Mission statement
Country report
- ALGERIA
- ANGOLA
- BENIN
- BOSTWANA
- BURKINA FASO
- BURUNDI
- CABO VERDE
- CAMEROON
- CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
- CHAD
- COMOROS
- DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
- DJIBOUTI
- EGYPT
- EQUATORIAL GUINEA
- ERITREA
- ETHIOPIA
- GABON
- GAMBIA
- GHANA
- GUINEA BISSAU
- GUINEA CONAKRY
- IVORY COAST / CÔTE D'IVOIRE
- KENYA
- LESOTHO
- LIBERIA
- LYBIA
- MADAGASCAR
- MALAWI
- MALI
- MAURITANIA
- MAURITIUS
- MOROCCO
- MOZAMBIQUE
- NAMIBIA
- NIGER
- NIGERIA
- REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
- RWANDA
- SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE
- SIERRA LEONE
- SENEGAL
- SEYCHELLES
- SOMALIA
- SOUTH AFRICA
- SOUTH SUDAN
- SUDAN
- SWAZILAND
- TANZANIA
- TOGO
- TUNISIA
- UGANDA
- ZAMBIA
- ZIMBABWE
Speakers
Participants
Index Advertisers

DISBOOK - The Africa 2012 Edition

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