Government is optimistic Ghana will meet the global deadline to migrate from analog television broadcasting to Digital Terrestrial Television.
This comes after a commercial Court in Accra threw out an injunction application seeking to prevent government from going ahead with the digital migration process.
Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express, the Deputy Minister of Communications, Ato Sarpong, said government has deployed the digital video broadcasting terrestrial 2 infrastructure in which each broadcasting firm will be given a specific frequency to operate with.
He added that “currently when you take a TV station … that terrestrial TV network, is assigned a frequency – a band to operate within, either a Very High Frequency (VHF) or an Ultra High Frequency (UHF) band to operate in. Now each broadcaster currently will be doing about six to eight megahertz of spectrum in analog.”
According to the Deputy Communications Minister, digital boxes will be out on sale shortly before the June 17 deadline. He explained “global entities that are in the business of manufacturing television sets, manufacturing transmitters, manufacturing equipment within the broadcasting space, from the 17 th of June; 2015, will not be in the business of manufacturing analog equipment again ….”
He explained that all TV sets that are digital or setup boxes must be upgraded to the terrestrial or hybrid to enhance TV viewing pleasure for all.
When the current frequency that is called free-to-air is taken away, all TV channels will be on the same platform and there will be no need for someone to buy a new TV set.
Speaking recently on JoyNews’ Today’s Big Story, Head of Technical at MultiTV, Edwin Annan, explained that normal analog might be running concurrently with the digital for a while and will later be faded out.
He emphasized that “definitely, all the free to air channels will disappear. You will need a digital box to view a channel”.
Adding that entities like Multi TV is well positioned to fill the gap that will be created, with our Multi TV digital box clients will be able to still use their analog television sets.
Edwin Annan, added “When Ghana goes fully digital, those TV sets will not work. You definitely have to get a set-top box to connect to the TV ….”
This article has 0 comment, leave your comment.