Government revises digital TV target

The South African government yesterday announced steps to join fellow African nations which have migrated to broadcast digital terrestrial television, despite missing the June 2015 target.

“The mere fact that 11 years since Cabinet has approved this project, and we are still this far behind, underlines the challenges of the [previous] delivery model. It will be foolhardy to continue on this path,” Communications Minister Nomvula Mokonyane told a media briefing in Pretoria.

“Again, we have to take into account that the technological landscape has changed drastically relative to the environment when Cabinet approved the project in 2007.

“From a government perspective, in particular, declining public funds is a stark reality which we have to deal with.

“Therefore, revising the delivery model became inevitable.”

A revised delivery model has since been approved by Cabinet and Mokonyane said her department was now putting systems in place to accelerate its implementation.

The new cut-off date to switch over to digital is July 2020. – ANA