Zimbabwe's signal carrier Transmedia has begun what it calls a national transmission grand plan, in a bid to provide the country with digital transmission.
This is according to Alfred Mandere, CEO of Transmedia.
"The plan is to upgrade the signal that provides Zimbabwe with national television, as well as the four Zimbabwean FM radio stations."
Transmedia is constructing new transmission equipment, as well as replacing some of the outdated equipment, which was installed as far back as 1974, he says.
The company has started implementing a fibre optic backbone throughout the country, as well as 59 transmitting base stations. The base stations cover the rural communities as well, he adds.
"Through the digital upgrade, we could have established 59 community radio stations and two more FM radio stations," he says.
The state broadcaster, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, covers very little of the country, especially the border areas. This forces many Zimbabweans to rely on the foreign press or nothing at all, according to a Zimbabwean state newspaper.
The company hopes to see the "grand plan" fulfilled by late next year, Mandere says.
Funding difficulty
Transmedia says the digital roll-out is costing the company $64 million. "It is proving difficult to raise the funds under the current circumstances," Mandere says.
The company has received "serious" funding from the Zimbabwean government, but is still seeking funding from potential investors in China, SA and Europe, he adds.
The digital upgrade will provide Zimbabweans with broadcast transmission at an affordable rate, Mandere says. He adds that it will also make Zimbabwe compliant with the DVB-T standards, which is a global standard for the delivery of digital television and data services.
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