The government must rethink its Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) rollout strategy and “misguided” decision to opt for locally manufactured set-top boxes (STBs), the Democratic Alliance said on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Earlier this week, Cabinet approved the ownership support rollout framework for television STBs to poor households.<\/p>\n
“The aerials will add at least another R750 million to the R2.45 billion government has already allocated to subsidise STBs for these households,” DA MP Marian Shinn said in a statement.<\/p>\n
“The department of communications… has persistently failed to fully comprehend the complexities and scope of digital migration and produce an all-encompassing vision, cost, financing plan and roll-out strategy for the project.”<\/p>\n
The deadline for so-called digital migration is June 2015. After this date, old-style analogue television sets will require an STB to receive the digital broadcast signal.<\/p>\n
Shinn said the focus on local manufacture of STBs was misplaced for a number of reasons.<\/p>\n
STBs could be bought for about R350 from off-shore manufacturers and were readily available.<\/p>\n
“Government has set aside R2.45bn to subsidise 70 percent of the R700 each locally manufactured STB will cost,” she said.<\/p>\n
“This subsidy could be slashed by R1bn if STBs were imported.”<\/p>\n
Another reason was that local manufacturing of more expensive STBs could only start once standards were finalised.<\/p>\n
“If the government remains committed to local manufacturing of STBs it is unlikely that the… deadline for digital switchover will be met,” said Shinn.<\/p>\n
She said the demand for STBs also had a limited lifespan.<\/p>\n
“Within a few years most South Africans will likely have bought digital televisions, and sales of analogue sets for which STBs are necessary will cease.”<\/p>\n
Shinn said the government’s lack of cohesion in planning for DTT and its determination to stick to a local manufacturing plan with tangible benefits was likely to continue delaying the digital migration programme.<\/p>\n
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