Despite communications minister Faith Muthambi's announcement she would "revive" the stalled broadcast digital migration process, there is little news about the progress of set-top box (STB) manufacturing.
Last week, Muthambi addressed a digital terrestrial television (DTT) implementation and planning workshop, in Pretoria, stating: "The time has come for us to revive the DTT project and inject new energy into it, and as a department, we've put measures in place to bring the DTT project back on track.
"It is now the time for the nation to embark on the switch-on stage of the digital migration project."
However, the Department of Communications (DOC) could not shed any light on when tenders for STB manufacturing would be issued, or whether Muthambi envisages the establishment of a fully-fledged manufacturing industry in SA.
"The minister is still in the process of consulting. The workshop last week was a landmark event to revive the DTT project and put the project back on track. Once the consultation process is completed, the minister will be able to issue a more comprehensive directive regarding all policy, [and] strategic and implementation issues," says DOC spokesman Ayanda Hollow.
In terms of specific plans for building a local STB manufacturing sector in SA, Hollow says part of Muthambi's consultative process would focus on establishing the capacity, experience and size of the STB manufacturing sector in SA.
"It is only then that such issues can be determined," says Hollow.
It is also unclear whether Muthambi could potentially consider relying on existing players, such as Altech UEC and Reunert's DiviTech, to manufacture STBs, instead of establishing a new manufacturing industry, this late in the process. "It is the intention of the minister to consult all critical stakeholders and role-players in this industry," notes Hollow.
Use existing players
Critics of government's handling of the digital migration process previously urged government to abandon the idea of setting up a new manufacturing sector, saying it would only further delay SA's switchover from analogue to digital broadcasting.
Democratic Alliance shadow minister of telecommunications and postal services Marian Shinn has been calling for government to turn to existing players to meet the demand for STBs.
"At this stage, no one can move. Digital migration progress seems to have stalled around the issues of set-top boxes and government's ambitions to create an environment that would see new entrants emerge in the set-top box manufacturing space," Shinn said previously, adding these considerations should now be set aside, for the sake of expediency.
"We are focusing on a small political imperative, but the bigger picture is not there - in other words, freeing up the South African Internet." Shinn added government's current focus is misguided, and existing manufacturers, such as Altech UEC, should be used to deliver STBs for the launch of digital broadcasting.
"But even in that scenario, we are running out of time. Even if government decides to use existing manufacturers, boxes need to be installed, people need to be trained to do this and subsidised boxes need to be allocated. This is a huge process."
At this stage, the DOC is unable to comment on when SA is likely to complete its migration process, even though it is clear the country will not make the international June 2015 analogue cut-off date. "These are all the questions that the minister is seeking to establish from the consultative process," Hollow points out.
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