Digital migration deadline won't be extended

By  Alfred Wandera

Owners of analogue television sets who will not have obtained set top boxes (STB) to enable them access digital signals by June 17 will be switched off following an agreement by stakeholders not to extend the digital migration deadline.

STB is an information appliance device that contains a TV-tuner input that displays output connects to a television set, turning the source signal into content form that can be displayed on the television screen or other display.

The agreement was between Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC), National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) and Members of Parliament on the parliamentary committees on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Presidential Affairs.

This was during a stakeholders’ workshop on Friday at Serena Hotel that was called to chart the way forward for the digital migration ahead of the set deadline of June 17.

“From the presentations made today, we have reached a consensus that there is no need to seek for postponement of digital migration deadline because 70% of the areas with TV sets are now covered,” said Vincent Bagiire, chairperson for parliamentary committee on ICT.

Consequently, it was also agreed that UBC and NAB form a consortium that will expedite and manage the digital migration process ahead of the June deadline.

In order to form a workable consortium, it was agreed that the Office of the Prime Minister, Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Ministry of ICT, Ministry of Information and National Guidance, UBC, UCC and NAB meet and agreed on the modalities.

The proposal to form a consortium between the key broadcasting sector stakeholders was mooted by UCC executive director, Eng. Godfrey Mutabazi.

“UBC can own the infrastructure but its management can be under a consortium of broadcasters who pay UBC. Let’s focus on what we need to do now within the limited resources we have. UCC is replacing analogue with digital transmitters. The rest, let UBC work with her line ministry to get more money for funding,” said Mutabazi.

Mutabazi’s proposal gained credence in the workshop as several speakers supported the move as the only way to expedite the process.

“The telecommunications sector in Uganda is 80% foreign owned and we see no problem in that. So, what is wrong with the private sector represented by NAB working with UBC to form a consortium to run digital migration?” said Bagiire.
NAB vice chairman and Nile Broadcasting Services (NBS) chief executive officer, Kin Kariisa, said they are ready to work with UBC and its unbundled corporation in charge of digital migration, Signal Network (SIGNET), to ensure that the consortium works.

However, Kariisa said there is need to put in place a backup transmitter for emergence in case the main transmitter fails so as to cushion broadcasters from incurring losses and enable them meet their undertakings with advertisers.

In 2006, the Regional Radio Communication Conference under the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), resolved and set June 17, 2015 as the deadline for all countries to migrate from analogue to digital terrestrial TV broadcasting.

In March 2011, the Analogue to Digital Migration Policy on digital migration was passed and UBC was designated as the sole signal distributor for the first five years with exclusivity.

Mutabazi said UBC’s monopoly ends next year when a review of her performance will be made to assess whether other players should be allowed to join the market as digital signal distributors.

UBC acting Managing Director, Angello Nkezza, on Friday showed SIGNET’s provisional license to the stakeholders after they failed to produce it last week before the ICT committee of Parliament when they met the legislators.

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