SA analogue switch-off date gazetted

Source © Ibnu Chaidir Gaffar 123rf The date for the switching off of all analogue broadcasting services above 694MHz is set for 31 July, with 31 December 2023 set as the end of the dual-illumination period and the date to switch-off the remaining analogue broadcasting services below the 694MHz frequency

This is according to communications minister Mondli Gungubele, who gazetted the deadline for the analogue switch-off (ASO).

South Africa initially planned to switch all analogue TV signals off by November 2011, but the Government’s broadcasting digital migration (BDM) programme has been plagued by issues.

Since then the communications department has made numerous attempts to conclude the country’s BDM process.

The Cabinet decision of 29 March 2023 granted concurrence for the Minister to gazette the Analogue Switch-Off date for South Africa, as such the minister will give an update on the progress of the implementation of the Broadcast Digital Migration program, particularly the analogue switch-off Plan.

South Africa is firmly on course to achieve the long-delayed Broadcast Digital Migration with the aim of improving media services in the country and freeing the much-needed spectrum.

“All remaining analogue broadcasting services should be temporarily accommodated below the 694MHz frequency,” says Gungubele.

“All digital broadcasting services operating above the 694MHz frequency must also be returned to operate on frequencies below 694MHz, in order to clear broadcasting services from 694 to 862MHz frequency band.”

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Important step

Migrating from analogue to digital terrestrial television (DTT) is an important step towards making available the sub-1GB radio frequency spectrum bands occupied by the analogue TV signals.

Access to high‐demand spectrum will help Mobile operators can provide faster and more widespread high-speed data services if they have access to high-demnd spectrum, giving households and businesses affordable data.

Digital terrestrial TV also means higher quality broadcasts while consuming much less radio frequency spectrum.

The switch-off will free critical radio frequency spectrum mobile operators could use to improve network coverage and capacity in South Africa.

The migration affects households that don’t receive their television signal via satellite and use a regular roof antenna or “bunny ears”.