It's highly unlikely that SA will turn on digital television in September, let alone beat the international date for switching off analogue once and forever. Yet again, the deadline for moving off the archaic analogue signal has been pushed out, this time to an uncertain future date.
SA may be able to turn on digital TV, but no one will be able to enjoy the digital experience.
Nicola Mawson, deputy news editor, ITWeb
Now SA will only turn off digital TV within two years of launching the newfangled signal, which would be all fine and well if there was a hope of ever making the September 'on' date.
The entire process has been marred by delay after delay ever since SA signed up to move to a digital broadcasting platform about six years ago; and a lack of cohesion from the top means any potential benefit will be pushed out yet again.
Not so much go
In January last year, Roy Padayachie enthusiastically announced that SA would be moving to digital TV using the upgraded European DVB-T2 standard, garnering him much applause from stakeholders because at long last, things were moving forward.
Finally, a decision - after former minister Siphiwe Nyanda's 2010 dalliance with the Brazilians, which came almost five years after government decided to go with the European DVB-T standard in the first place. Goodness knows how many jobs could have been created while the country ummed and ahhed.
However, the situation is not much different, as SA is still quite some way away from actually turning on digital television now. Sure, there is now an actual cabinet-approved sector manufacturing strategy, and some clarity over the subsidies for decoders and aerials.
What has yet to be made clear is how this manufacturing strategy will work. It's not listed on the department's Web site; but then, neither is digital TV as a project cited anymore.
The more things change
Although something seems to be happening in the background, the country is still waiting for the department to sort out several key aspects that are vital for everyone to move ahead and actually get on with the job.
The department has yet to finalise a few rather vital things, like set-top box controls, the user interface and standards. Frankly, if all these issues are not sorted out by next month at the latest, SA may be able to turn on digital TV, but no one will be able to enjoy the digital experience.
Simply put, set-top box manufacturers need at least nine months to get boxes from production lines onto shop shelves, since SA is meant to turn on digital TV in September, yet key aspects are still waiting for sign off.
It's not rocket science to work out the math: March plus nine months equals December. Without boxes, only people who have bought new televisions will be able to pick up the signal, but that's contingent on the new tellies having built-in tuners that comply with local regulations.
Even if the department rushes to actually get stuff sorted out by next week Friday, Sentech will be broadcasting to a lucky few who happen to own test boxes.
Taking a gamble
My money is on the September deadline moving out again, which will then push out turn-off, again, to the detriment of all South Africans and economic growth.
SA will, sadly, lose out on many opportunities. There is the delay in creating opportunities for a local content industry, as well as lost opportunities for emerging manufacturers, many of whom have given up hope and changed focus anyway.
Another loss is SA's ability to become a powerhouse in Africa, to own the market, to make 100 million boxes for all the houses that will need them, to create much-needed jobs.
Ironically, the department's dithering also means it is setting itself up to miss another ambitious target: 100% broadband coverage by 2020 - and it is this that could hurt SA's economy the most.
Urban areas are pretty well covered by mobile providers, apart from the congestion problems. Not so much rural areas where a landline isn't an option. To expand coverage over all of SA's velds will be a very costly exercise. One mobile executive puts the cost as high as R100 billion.
However, what could make the endeavour more viable is if operators don't need as many base stations. Enter 800MHz, which has waves that travel further, ergo less base stations.
Yet, for spectrum to be freed up in this range, SA needs to move off analogue. That was set to happen in November last year, and then towards the end of next year, and now will only take place within two years of switch-on.
I'm not holding my breath, and neither are the people who could be hooking into the digital economy and benefiting from education, new markets to sell home-made curios to, or even just from being able to explore the World Wide Web.
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