South(ern) 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 14 countries had already selected DVB-T through the 2006 ITU Geneva agreements. 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.   DVB Press release: pr203: DVB Confirmed for Southern Africa   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