Ever since the liberalization policy was put in place, there has been tremendous growth of private radio and television broadcasting stations in the country.
During the Regional Radio communications Conferences (RRC) of 2004 (RRC-04) and 2006 (RRC-06), ITU developed digital terrestrial broadcasting Plan, The Geneva 2006 (GE06) Agreement that resulted from RRC-06 set the switch-over date for analogue to digital broadcasting for June 2015 when all countries party to the agreement will totally migrate from analogue technology to digital technology.
This document underpins some of the important and crucial areas that need to be taken into account when introducing digital terrestrial broadcasting during the transition period and after switch-over, recognizing the difficulties that may come by as a result of introducing new technology.
The successful introduction of digital broadcasting is a complex process and will require the participation of a number of stakeholders. The purpose of this document is to provide a clear guide on how the migration process will be addressed and what this entails. In this way stakeholders will be able to make informed decisions based on the parameters within which they will be able to operate.
The implications of digital broadcasting to the consumers and service providers during the transition as well as post-switch-over periods include cost to customers to acquire set-top boxes and the need for substantial investments for infrastructure and programme production in the broadcasting.
