Why Kenyans should be excited about migrating from analogue to digital TV
About Us Kenya ICT Press Why Kenyans should be excited about migrating from analogue to digital TV
This year, Kenya will migrate its four million analogue TV viewers to the digital platform.
The switch over is the culmination of a journey that started in 2006, during the World Radio Conference in which all countries of the world agreed to adopt digital TV broadcasting by 2015.
Subsequently, the Ministry of Information and Communications set up the Digital Television Committee (DTC) to spearhead the implementation and to advise the government on the migration process.
The DTC is made up of representatives from the Ministry of Information, the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, private broadcasters, the National Communications Secretariat and the Communications Commission of Kenya.
One of its first tasks was to advise the government on the appropriate digital technology, which led to the adoption of the DVB T standard that the public broadcaster, KBC, subsequently used to deploy the digital platform in Nairobi and its environs.
In 2010, the government resolved to upgrade to the DVB T2 standard. KBC subsequently upgraded its digital platform to the DVB T2 standard, which is now available in Nairobi and its environs. Most regions are expected to be covered before the end of this year.
As alluded to above, digital TV broadcasting is poised to offer higher spectrum efficiency, better picture quality and clearer sound.
As a result, more broadcasting channels will be available, offering more choice to consumers, interactivity and access to electronic programming guides.
To fast-track the deployment of the digital signal, CCK has opened up its distribution to competition.
As a result, the Pan African Networks Group Kenya Ltd was awarded a signal distribution licence in October 2011 through a competitive tender process.
An additional player will be licensed through a competitive bidding process targeting the national level to promote local participation in this sector.
The introduction of the signal distribution market segment is a milestone for the broadcasting industry as it has reduced barriers to entry.
With the burden of infrastructure roll out now being shouldered by signal distributors, broadcasters can focus their investment and energy on studio set-up and content creation.
Digital broadcasting will move Kenya towards establishing a more equitable, just and people-centred information society.
The spectrum freed as a result of the migration will be re-assigned to the ICT industry to support the ever-increasing need for wireless communication services.
The migration process has had its fair share of challenges. While the DVB T2 platform is ready, compliant set top boxes are yet to be available in the market.
To overcome this challenge, the Commission has, on behalf of the government, called on the private sector to import the set boxes.
To increase consumer awareness of the benefits of digital TV broadcasting, CCK will soon launch a campaign.