Ghana to complete Digital Migration by 2013

Ghana plans to complete its migration from analogue to digital TV by 2013 according to Mr. Edmund Yirenkyi Fianko, Secretary of National Digital Broadcasting Migration Technical Committee (NDBMTC). He was speaking at a day’s workshop organised by the National Communication Authority (NCA) in Accra on Friday (7th May) to brief the media on progress made by NDBMTC charged to make policy recommendations to government for a smooth and successful transition from analogue to digital transmission. The 24-member committee inaugurated early this year, was mandated to consult widely all stakeholders and monitor performance of other countries within Africa to be able to present credible and practical policy recommendations to realise objectives of digital broadcasting migration in Ghana.
Mr. Fianko said the committee had already started a pilot project and in addition, projected that by 2012 it would have completed covering all regional capitals and their environs. “The regional agreement for digital services has been reached in the frequency bands 174-230 MHz and 470-862 MHz”, he added.
Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) launched a pilot DTT Project in Accra in November 2008 with transmissions covering a 15km radius around GBC’s Kanda Premises, which covers Accra and Tema. The pilot is a collaboration of Next Generation Broadcasting (NGB), TV Africa, Net 2 and CNBC Africa. About 300 Set Top Boxes were installed in some Government and private institutions, including pubs, hospitals, salons, private homes and advertising agencies in both Accra and Tema.
NGB Ghana Ltd is a Ghanaian-Swedish (Next Generation Broadcasting AB based in Stockholm, Sweden) joint venture, established in 2006. NGB Ghana Ltd as a service operator is launching a Digital Television Pay TV services in Ghana branded SMART TV. The service will provide both Pay TV and free to air services.
Main source: GhanaWeb
Item added: 17th May 2010