Benefits of Digital Migration

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Africa’s digital transition in broadcasting has the potential to improve both the quantity and quality of what is available on TV and to increase the number of people who will be able to watch it. The digital transition in broadcasting is a global process involving the switch from analogue to digital broadcasting signals. There are a number of countries who have completed this transition and many more who are making the transition. Because the process of the digital transition in broadcasting involves re-allocating frequencies, it is agreed by the International Telecommunication Union’s Regional Telecommunication Conference (ITURTC). African countries are committed to migrating to digital broadcasting by June 2015. This digital transition in broadcasting will be a costly process (both for Government and citizens) and it is currently unclear who will benefit from it or where the resources needed to make the transition will come from. There are costs for digital production equipment, for digital transition equipment and for set-top boxes and digitally-enabled TVs. Soon six African countries will have started digital broadcasting in parallel with analogue signals, nine countries are carrying our pilot transmissions and 28 appear to have done nothing. There is a worldwide transition to digital broadcasting which is a more efficient way of transmitting sound and pictures and which offers a number of potential benefits. Because the digital broadcast signal can be compressed, spectrum can be freed up and this can be sold to communications operators who want to provide better wireless broadband services. Television viewers will get improved picture and sound quality. However, those at the edge of signal coverage areas who currently get a poor quality signal will with digital signals get no picture at all. In the future, broadcasters will be able to offer High Definition

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