By Brenda Zulu  –
Digital Migration is a world programme to change the technology used in terrestrial television transmission from analogue to digital.
Coordinated by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), countries should adopt the use of digital technology and that this process must be completed by June 17, 2015.
Zambia, through representation, appended its signatures to the agreement reached in 2006 and all members of the ITU.
In this country we have the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) as the national TV broadcaster and nine private broadcasters on the terrestrial platform. As a matter of policy, only the national broadcaster, ZNBC, is allowed country-wide coverage of its services (NAZ, 2002).
Broadcasting is undergoing a revolution that will affect both traditional broadcasting and other medium of information dissemination. The transition from analogue to digital broadcasting spurred by convergence is creating great opportunities for the provision of information and communication technologies (ICTs) applications and multimedia service.
Masuzyo Ndhlovu, ZNBC Corporate Affairs Manager said the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation was a strategic partner and that it has been working with stakeholders in the migration process.
Mr Ndhlovu said ZNBC was represented by two of its employees on the digital migration task force.
“The taskforce is a multi-stakeholder working group charged with theresponsibility, to oversee the switchover program within a specified timetable, to formulate an appropriate switchover strategy, to identify likely tailbacks to the uptake of digital broadcast, to formulate and implement appropriate consumer awareness strategies, and take-up and use of the new services,” explained Mr Ndhlovu.
He further explained that ZNBC will carry the role of a public signal distributor. According to the Digital Migration Policy, a public signal distributor will be required to provide national wide coverage and services to content service providers (licences) on a competitive and non discriminatory basis in order to provide universal access.
In short, apart from the ZNBC channels and other channels can also ride on the ZNBC signal distribution.
Asked what the challenges of digital migration were to ZNBC, Mr Ndhlovu said the old age of the equipment has resulted in increased costs of repairs as most of them experience constant breakdowns.
“Some of the equipment has become obsolete and incompatible with new brands of equipment. The migration to digital has come at the right time so that obsolete equipment is replaced. Failure or consequences of not migrating from analogue to digital would lead to interference of analogue to digital transmissions and vice versa.
“This is because digital plans have been implemented within the same frequency bands being utilised for analogue transmissions. This interference can become even more complicated in cases of transmitters located near territorial borders in that the neighboring countries may migrate by the deadline,” explained Mr Ndhlovu.
He stated that beyond the ITU deadline there would be noprotection for any analogue transmissions that will be interfered with by the planned digital emissions.
Mr Ndhlovu observed that ZNBC transmitters along the line of rail and the provincial centre’s have run for over twenty-five years.
“Spare parts have already become scarce due to technological obsolescence. Almost all of them are emitting below half of the rated power output. By 2015 world deadline these transmitters must be replaced. It is therefore imperative that the replacements be digital,” he said.
A downside to delayed switchover was that it was bound to encourage the dumping of obsolete technologies into the country especially from the consumer side where television receivers being rejected in countries that have migrated will be sold in Zambia where the analogue service will still be existing.
“This will increase the amount of electronic waste in the country when it is time to rid these out-dated receivers. Electronic components contain toxic substances the disposal of which, if not properly managed, can result into very serious environmental contamination with unprecedented plant and animal health risks.”
Mr Ndhlovu advised every household or person owning a TV set to buy a Set Top Box (STB). The STB which is also known as a decoder is an interface between the transmitter and the television set.
It is the receiver that will decode the digital signal to enable the channels to be displayed on an analogue television set.
He explained that the STB was a converter that changes or converts digital signals into analogue, adding that it has not yet been proved whether there are dealers selling digital ready TV sets and are compatible with what has been approved by Southern African Development Countries (SADC) countries of the DVT-T2 standard.
Further, Mr Ndhlovu said that dealers will start selling digital ready TV sets with an integrated STB meaning there will be no need for a separate set top box to convert the signal as the STB is imbedded into the TV making the set to have an integrated set top box.
Apart from the STBs being advertised by ZNBC, Mr Ndhlovu said there were a number of them in the country.
“Notable among them are decoders from Multi Choice Zambia (DSTV), Go TV, Strong Zambia and Muvi TV.The new decoders in Zambia are the ZNBC decoder’s code named “DTT Zambia decoders.”
Key Consumer Issues
The consumer of television services however will be required to upgrade or replace the receiving hardware in order to continue receiving the old services and to be able to access new services.
There are two options in this regard: the consumer can either obtain a converter (DVB-T Set-top Box [STB]) which converts digital transmission into analogue so that the old analogue television set can still be used; or simply buy a digital compatible television receiver that will receive the digital transmissions directly.
Being a new technology, most consumers are not expected to have the know how to enable them make right decisions in buying the appropriate hardware and so are bound to make mistakes that can lead to loss of funds and consequently resenting the technology.
Most consumers, especially in the country are not aware of the impending transition and so may provide good ground for dumping of obsolete technology from developed countries most of which have already started the migration process and have set their complete analogue switch-off dates much earlier than 2015.
Being new technology, retailers of electronic goods may take commercial advantage on the unsuspecting and enthusiastic consumers to the extent where the consumers will end up being exploited.
The fact that varied content will be availed on the digital platform implies that the consumer of television services will be subjected to material which if not properly regulated may be harmful not only to the consumer but also to the nation.
Environmental pollution due to uncontrolled dumping of e-waste as a consequence of technological obsolescence is a threat to public health and a very important national concern.
The author is an ICT Journalist/Blogger and founder of the Africa Interactive Media?and the Zambian Bloggers Network. For feedback contact her on brendazulu2002@gmail.com