Set-top box specs not finalised

By Paul Vecchiatto, ITWeb Cape Town correspondent

Cape Town, 08 Aug 2008

Set-top box (STB) technical specifications have not yet been finalised. The country will likely only see the first production models in a year's time, at best, says Aynon Doyle, regulatory affairs manager at MIH Group.

Doyle, who also sits on the SA Bureau of Standards working committee that is setting the STB technical specifications, says it is likely the specifications will be set in August. Following this, they have to be available for 60 days of public comment. Then, if there are no substantial changes, the specifications have to be published and referenced in regulations.

"The manufacturers have indicated to us that they need at least six months' lead time from when the specifications are set to gear up for manufacturing, so the best bet is around this time next year," he says.

Yesterday, communications minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri announced Cabinet had approved the digital broadcast migration policy framework and the STB technical specifications. This also included R2.45 billion to be used to subsidise the final cost of the STBs by up to 70% of the estimated R700 retail price.

Many doubts

"I would be very interested to see what technical specifications Cabinet has approved, because that is not something they would generally do," notes Doyle.

He expresses concern about the statement that the STBs would have a "return path" to get information from the consumer to government.

"The STB specification has a USB port, but there is no built-in modem... Also, to get e-government information, such as application forms filled in, one would need a keyboard and no keyboard has been specified."

Doyle says the digital migration working group, which first drew up a framework policy three years ago, found that a subsidy programme would be necessary. The group stated that the vast majority of SA's 4.4 million households with TV sets would not be able to afford STBs.

"However, the R210 that the households would have to cough up, plus the possible R225 TV licence fee that many would now have to pay as well, will bring the cost to over the R400 mark that was initially through of as being too expensive for them," he points out.

Doyle says broadcasters plan to begin piloting STBs in 3 000 households in November; however, they are still awaiting a band plan from the regulator, ICASA.

Access control

He says the only measure for conditional access that is being considered is each STB having a unique number, similar to the system found on cellphones, which would block them from operating outside the country.

Susan Vos, Inkatha Freedom Party communications spokesman, says: "I foresee huge problems with implementing the whole system. For instance, just how are they going to determine which households are able to qualify for the subsidy?"

Vos says the STBs would probably be linked to some kind of permanent residential address and there are many people who do not have addresses in the conventional sense.

She says the other issue that government has not considered is the dumping of TV sets in the country, whereby they are sold at prices lower than it costs to manufacture and transport them. This could lead to people paying for units that will not be compatible, notes Vos.