Zim on track to meet digitisation deadline –BAZ

Zim on track to meet digitisation deadline –BAZ

WINDHOEK, Namibia, 13 March 2015 / PRN Africa / -- The Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) on 11 March 2015 said Zimbabwe will meet the International Telecommunications Union's 17 June 2015 deadline to migrate from analogue to digital broadcasting.




Speaking during a media briefing in Harare, BAZ chief executive officer Obert Muganyura said the government contracted Chinese telecommunications company, Huawei Technology International on 25 February 2015 for the implementation of the digitisation programme, which is set to cost $125million.




A feasibility study on the migration process that involved the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), Transmedia and BAZ, has since been completed.




A total of $200million raised through licence fees paid for a data-casting licence which was awarded to mobile service operator NetOne, is available for the process. NetOne is the only applicant which responded to a call for applications for the data-casting licence by BAZ.




As part of the compliance requirements, Huawei is expected to setup 30 digital transmitters at 24 of the existing transmission sites and an additional six new ones (visit www.misazim.com for the detailed implementation schedule).




Muganyura said Huawei will also install studio encoders as well as the head-end and satellite links to enable the country to safely meet the requirements that will limit signal interference with neighbouring countries upon the termination of analogue transmission.




Other elements in the implementation schedule that are not directly linked with the compliance requirements include the digitisation of existing televisions studios, content production centres in identified areas, digitisation of the existing analogue radio studios, renewal of FM radio transmission network, a web TV system and an operational and regulatory monitoring system, among other things. This will happen between July – December 2015.




BAZ said surveys and engagements with the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) and District Development Fund (DDF) for site preparations as well as recruitment of engineers is already underway.




The digitisation process will see the setting up of High Definition (HD) television studios, five radio transmission studios, six digital content production facilities, satellite signal distribution, six national FM transmission networks as well as a conditional access system and subscriber management receiver control.




The subscriber management system will encrypt transmission to ensure viewers pay subscription fees, a move that BAZ said would improve the collection of listenership and viewership licence fees.




SOURCE Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)

Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)


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