Communications minister Faith Muthambi says plans for South Africa's migration from analogue to digital television remain on track, despite giving no indication of when the switch will actually occur.
"The ministry is ready to consult with Cabinet on the digital signal switch-on date," according to the minister.
Muthambi and her team told Parliament yesterday that digital terrestrial television (DTT) will be implemented in the next 18 to 24 months. This timeframe has been thrown out a number of times by the Department of Communications (DOC) over the past few months, without further specifics.
South Africa has been planning for digital migration since 2008. In June, SA missed the International Telecommunication Union's deadline to turn off analogue broadcast and shift to a digital television era.
The Digital Terrestrial Television Programme Management Office yesterday presented its progress report on DTT to a joint meeting of the portfolio committees on communications, telecommunications and postal services, and the select committee on communications and public enterprises.
The minister, her team, the SA Post Office and Universal Service Access Agency of South Africa (USAASA) were all grilled by MPs on the country's preparation for the digital switch. Democratic Alliance MP Marian Shinn raised concerns about the cost of the digital switch and where the funding would come from.
The DOC maintains it is working hard to make DTT a reality. The ministry's presentation indicated the "terrestrial and satellite network is completed and ready and covers 84% and 16% of the population respectively". It also specified that "the analogue switch-off (ASO) roadmap is ready" and would be performed through a "phased approach".
There is still no clarity on when manufacturers can expect orders to be placed for set-top boxes, with the DOC simply saying government would do so "in August 2015".
Government has committed to supply free set-top boxes to around five million low-income households so they can continue to access free-to-air broadcasting services once South Africa migrates from analogue to digital television.
In April, USAASA announced all 26 bidders would receive part of the R4.3 billion tender for the rollout of the set-top boxes to poor TV owners.
The cost of DTT
Shinn says DTT has cost R8.5 billion so far and currently has a funding shortfall in excess of R2.8 billion.
"Started in 2008, and delayed by innumerable delays caused by political interference, inter-broadcaster marketing wars and legal challenges, and Cabinet power struggles, the project promises to be underfunded to deliver on its mandate."
Shinn says there are other known funding shortfalls, including USAASA's project shortfall for set-top boxes of R1.9 billion and Sentech's shortfall in the 2015/16 fiscal year for the dual illumination period of R32 million.
"The DOC seemed unfazed by the lack of clarity on where the money was coming from, saying National Treasury had always been sympathetic to the project and that discussions were under way between all the entities involved in the process to identify funding possibilities," according to Shinn.
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