Tanzania has switched from analog TV to DVB-T2
Tanzania has switched off analogue television transmission in Dar es Salaam and it plans to replicate this in its main towns moving a step closer to migrating to digital broadcasting. This puts the country ahead of its East African Community counterparts who had initially agreed on a December 31 2012 deadline to start switching off analogue transmission. Kenya is currently waiting for a court ruling, to be made next week, which will determine if the analogue broadcasting will be turned off in Nairobi.
Source: The Star Kenya
Date: 31 Jan 2013
Tax on DTT decoders may be waived
The Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority (TCRA) is in discussions with the government about the possibility of exempting digital TV decoders from tax, to hasten the migration from analogue broadcasting, according to The Citizen online.
TCRA Manager Erasmo Mbilinyi said that the regulator has started talks with Ministry of Information, Culture and Sport and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs about the issue.
If the talks succeed, taxes on the devices will be waived during importation, making the market price more affordable to ordinary people.
ASO is planned for 2013
Some of the pay-TV companies that already offer digital broadcasting services in the country include StarTimes, Ting (Agape TV) and Easy TV.
Source: Telecompaper
Item added: 10th October 2011
Southern Africa Selects DVB-T2
After many meetings, presentations and months of uncertainty, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) digital task force has selected DVB-T2 with MPEG-4 compression as the terrestrial transmission standard for the region. By selecting the most future-proof solution SADC has underlined its slogan "Towards a Common Future".
SADC member countries include Angola, Botswana, DRC, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. All of the 15 countries had already selected DVB-T through the 2006 ITU Geneva agreements and can continue with this implementation if they have already started and migrate to DVB-T2 at a later date. It is expected that all SADC countries will each complete the formal adoption of DVB-T2 in the near future, paving the way for a very ambitious digital switchover date of December 2013.
One of its smallest members, Mauritius, has already completed the switch to DVB-T. South Africa, arguably its most influential member, has already performed many DVB-T trials and more recently DVB-T2 trials in Johannesburg as well. The South African broadcasting industry is strongly supporting the decision for DVB-T2 and is ready to help launch digital TV in South Africa and the region.
The official SADC decision and digital switchover planning can be found on the SADC website.
This important decision has also been widely covered in the press:
Broadband TV News
Tech Central
My Broadband
Screen Africa
The information on these pages comes from many sources and whilst DVB believe it to be correct we cannot guarantee its accuracy.
If you have any additional information or corrections please send an e-mail to dvb@dvb.org
Last page update: 10th October 2011, Barry Tew
