Crossing the digital divide in East Africa... as seen on TV

The migration from analogue to digital TV broadcasting by 2015 will not be easy for East African countries.

Officials from the East African Community partner states say there are many challenges ahead, especially in meeting certain conditions set by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).

Burundi, for instance, is yet to start the migration.

The other four states — Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania — have made significant strides.

The International Telecommunications Union wants all countries to have migrated to digital broadcasting by 2015.

According to the UN’s ITU, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Iran should have digitalised all terrestrial broadcast services for sound and television by June 2015.

The transition period started in June 2006.

But some countries, particularly in Africa, want a five-year extension for the VHF band (174-230 MHz).

Bitange Ndemo, Kenya’s Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Information and Communication, says the switch to digital will create new distribution networks and expand the region’s potential for wireless innovation and services.

“The digital dividend accruing from efficiencies in spectrum usage will allow more channels to be carried across fewer airwaves, leading to greater convergence of services,” he said.

Technical experts say the migration will support mobile reception of video, Internet and multimedia data.

This will make applications, services and information accessible and usable anywhere, any time.

Digital broadcasts will also open the door to new innovations such as handheld TV broadcast (DVB-H), along with high-definition television (HDTV).

It will also provide greater bandwidth to existing mobile, fixed and radio navigation services.

Officials said that regulators from EAC partner states, under the umbrella East African Communication Organisation, have agreed that the local deadline for digital migration should be set at 2012.

Patrick Masambu, the outgoing executive director of the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), which regulates ICTs in Uganda, says the country has set a national deadline of December 2012 to phase out analogue television transmissions.

A Swedish company, Next Generation, has been contracted to offer expert advice on the migration.

Reports indicate that about seven broadcasting stations are piloting the digital format on TV sets of 200 viewers in Kampala.

Five television stations — including Nation Television (NTV), Wavah Broadcasting (WBS TV), East Africa Television (EATV) and Nile Broadcasting Service (NBS) — are testing the broadcast of digital transmission by Next Generation Broadcasting.

The chief operations officer of Next Generation Broadcasting, Martin Abuya, is quoted as saying that broadcasters who are currently operating free-to-air television stations will be able to invest in niche channels with specialised content for specific groups.

The UCC says there are not more than one million households with television in Uganda.

While Uganda and Kenya have begun the migration, Burundi is yet to do so.

The biggest challenge the country faces on this front is funding.

Tanzania was set to launch the migration process early this year.

Kenya’s national broadcaster, Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) has already unveiled KBC Gold, a pay-TV station that specialises in broadcasting historical events and vintage programmes.

Rwandan officials of the national broadcasting corporation (known by its French acronym, ORINFOR), said they will switch to digital by the end of this year.

Globally, the analogue system has been in place for the past 45 years.