The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has yet to announce what digital TV standard the region will choose, and the Department of Communications is none the wiser as to when this will happen.
broadband services.
However, there is no certainty as to when the regional body will announce its decision about which standard to use, which means migration in SA has stalled in the meantime.
The region will collectively choose one standard to prevent frequency interference. Initially, the body decided to use the European DVB-T standard, but this was reviewed after SA put the possibility of ISDB-Tb, a Brazilian version of a Japanese standard, on the table.
Tiyani Rikhotso, Department of Communications spokesman, says the relevant ministers need to meet to consider a standards report compiled by a SADC task team. He does not know when that meeting will take place, or when an announcement will be made.
The SADC Web site does not provide any clarity on the way forward either. Some countries in the region, such as Namibia and Mauritius, are already moving over to DVB-T. South Africa adopted DVB-T in 2006, but earlier this year controversially reviewed its decision.
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