Register for subsidised decoders

Households qualifying for government-subsidised decoders in the Free State and North West have until the end of March 2018 to register for these devices, says the Department of Communications. “The analogue signal will be permanently switched off in June 2019 and people will need decoders to watch television,” the department said.

This initiative forms part of the department's Broadcasting Digital Migration project.The department has been tasked with rolling out a process of migrating all South African households to digital terrestrial television (DTT).

This process of migration is a government initiative and will allow users to experience the many benefits of digital television, which include clearer pictures and sound, as well as more channels. “Government has since last year been distributing free decoders to families that cannot afford commercial devices. However, households that fail to register and receive these decoders will lose access to television services,” the department said.

Television viewing households who subscribe to pay-TV channels will face no signal disruption as these services are already in the digital decoders that they have purchased.

“Families earning below R3 200 qualify to receive the government-subsidised decoders. Qualifying households are therefore invited to register at their nearest Post Office. Households who don't qualify to get digitally-enabled TV sets have been encouraged to ensure that when they purchase a TV set, it has a digital turner.