The Nation Newspaper

Tag: digital switch

  • All set for launch of Digital Switch Over in Kwara

    All set for launch of Digital Switch Over in Kwara

    The stage is set for the rollout of the Digitial Switch Over (DSO) in Kwara State, following the inspection visit to the facilities of the Integrated Television Services (ITS), a signal distributor, in Ilorin yesterday by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

    The minister led a team that included the Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Malam Ishaq Modibbo Kawu and the Chairman of Digiteam Nigeria, Mr. Edward Amana, to the ITS’ facilities to gauge the readiness for the rollout.

    Following the inspection, the Chairman of Digiteam said: “We are ready to take off in Ilorin. We have seen the installation and what was lacking before has been rectified. There is some level of redundancy now built into the transmission system.”

    In his remarks, the minister said the visit was to ascertain the level of preparedness for the launch of the DSO in Kwara State and the quality of facilities on the ground.

    “We are here to have a first-hand inspection of the level of readiness for the Digital Switch Over for Kwara State,“ he said.

    Earlier, the General Manager of ITS, Mr. Rotimi Salami, had conducted the minister and his delegation around the transmission station and the control room.

  • ALL SET FOR DIGITAL SWITCH OVER IN ABUJA –LAI MOHAMMED

    ALL SET FOR DIGITAL SWITCH OVER IN ABUJA –LAI MOHAMMED

    THE minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said all is now set for the launch of the Digital Switch Over (DSO) in broadcasting.

    The minister announced this in Abuja on Monday during the tour of key facilities of Pinnacle Communication Limited, the signal distribution for the Abuja DSO.

    “We are impressed by the speed, commitment and passion of Pinnacle to this project,” he said.

    Alhaji Mohammed also said 30 free channels will be available for Abuja residents upon the switch over on Thursday and that over 450,000 Set-Top Boxes have been provided for the flag-off.

    “It’s a revolution in the broadcasting ecosystem as far as Nigeria is concerned because not only are we going to have better clarity and audio but the average resident of FCT who is in possession of our Set-Top Box will have 30 free channels from news, entertainment, music….This is going to open a new vista for content,” he said.

    The minister expressed confidence that within three years of the digital transition, one million jobs will be created in the development of television content, technical services, software development, as well as the installation and repair of Set-Top Boxes for over 24 million TV households, among others.

    The minister said even though the Digital Switch Over will not take place in one fell swoop across the country, the federal government remains resolute in its commitment to meeting the 2017 deadline for the DSO.

    Also speaking at the call centre of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), he said the government is equally concerned about customers’ satisfaction, which informed the setting up of the Call Centre where subscribers can call to make inquiries or complaints for prompt response.

    Alhaji Mohammed, who was accompanied by the NBC Director General, Mallam Ishaq Modibbo Kawu, and the Chairman of DIGITEAM Nigeria, Mr. Edward Amana, inspected facilities at the Monitoring Room, Transmission Station and the Call Centre.

    The Pilot Scheme of the DSO was launched in Jos, Plateau State, on 30 April 2016.

  • Digital switch over: firm trains 100 installers

    Federal Government’s efforts on migrating from analogue to digital Terrestrial Television which commenced earlier in  the  year has got more boost with the Conduct Satellite Installer training of 100 people.

    The training is being conducted by  SES – a satellite operating company in collaboration with Cable Channels Nigeria Ltd.(CCNL), which is a company licensed by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).

    CCNL is the certified content aggregator and platform owner for the free-to-air Direct Terrestrial Television (DTT) and Direct to Home (DTH) platforms in Nigeria.

    The CCNL is also playing a key role in the Nigeria Digital Switchover (DSO) process by getting channels onto the land-based DTT network and onto satellite DTH, both offered under the brand free television.

    Its Chief Executive Officer Rajiv Mekkat said at a news  conference in Abuja on Monday that the training of the 100 installers would facilitate further installations in the homes of individual.

    “This partnership with SES will help bring digital switch over nearer to completion, which is a clear benefit to the Nigerian consumer,” he said.

    The Vice President Marketing SES, Paul Freeman, said Nigeria was on course on its digital switch over plan.

    “It is a two-day course of 45 persons today and we are expecting another 45 persons tomorrow. We are also planning to launch another training by June next year depending on where possibly our priorities are.”

    “They are expected to do basically excellent installation, and to deliver the best picture possible. They are also expected to be ambassadors of free TV and do time to time repairs. We had already from our feedback mechanism been getting good response from the people on the quality of installation.

    “Nigeria is really on the right track in terms of digitalization. Nearly half of Nigerian homes till have analogue television. The goal of the train is to bring satellite television services closer and to more Nigerians.

    “This satellite is in space serving Nigeria today. This Satellite is used for a digital switch over project working with our Partner CCNL. We work with them and the government for the Satellite television channels to provide terrestrial services as well.

    “Once we conclude the process in Jos- Plateau State, we would be able to do checks and balances and strategize towards expansion to other regions of the country,” he stated.

    SES, and CCNL had in May this year signed a multi-year agreement to provide a strategic and reliable video platform, via SES’s prime orbital position 28.2 degrees East, for the provision of digital Terrestrial Television,(DTT),and Direct to Home (DTH) broadcast platforms in Nigeria. The Pilot phase signaling the beginning of the DS0 commenced with the Switch over in Jos.

    END.

  • RATTAWU plans protest over digital switch

    RATTAWU plans protest over digital switch

    The Radio, Television, Theatre and Arts Workers’ Union (RATTAWU)  is not excited by the digital switch scheduled for next year. It said the government is not prepared for the challenges of funding and legislative backing and called for the extension of the take off date to 2020.

    Its President, Comrade Yemisi Gbamgboshe, told reporters that there is no structure in place by for the proposed switch.

    He said: “We  are not in support of the Federal Government digitisation process because of the  challenges of funding, legislative backing, sensitisation of the public, the signal distributor and the  plan for workers as well as no proper structures on ground to suggest that the country is ready for digital switch over in 2015.

    “As a critical stakeholder in the broadcast sector, we have made it known, based on available information, that there are no proper structures on ground to suggest that the country is ready for digital switch over in 2015.”

    RATTAWU also called on its members to be at alert for mass action should the government go ahead with the planned digitisation process when it is obvious that there is no structure in place for the scheme.

    According to Bamgboshe, there is no African country that has switched over except Tanzania. He added that the situation in that country also suggest that the whole process has hit the rocks and may likely return to analogue. He said many European countries have not switched over despite the fact that they started long ago.

    Bamgboshe noted that all over the world, most especially in countries where the switch over have been successfully carried out, it was their governments that bankrolled the project including subsidising the procurement of set top boxes.

    “Although the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), saddled with the responsibility of supervising the switch over, kept assuring stakeholders of its readiness to switch over as scheduled, but the current situation on ground clearly shows that the country is far from ready,” he  said.

  • Etisalat: Nigeria mustn’t miss digital switch over deadline

    Etisalat: Nigeria mustn’t miss digital switch over deadline

    Etisalat Nigeria has warned against missing the digital switch over (DSO) date set by the International Tele-communications Union (ITU). The firm said it would not be in Nigeria’s interest.

    The ITU has set next year for all member-countries to switch off all analogue transmission infrastructure and move over to the digital mode.

    The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) is on the vanguard of complying with the directive. It said it would achieve DSO before the year ends to enable it tighten loose ends ahead of the deadline.

    Etisalat’s Director, Network Engineering Temi Ogunbanbi said if the country fails to achieve DSO, it will not only become a dumping ground for analogue transmitters, it will also make the country uncompetitive  internationaly.

    Speaking during an interactive session with ICT editors in Lagos, he said the spectrum that would be freed by the NBC to the Nigerian Comunication Commission NCC) will be of great value to the telecoms sector, lamenting that the dearth of spectrum has not allowed the telco to deploy more advanced technology.

    He said the telco has invested enormously to grow the network to achieve the excellent services it is rendering to the customers despite the challenges in the sector, where power supply is erratic and vandalism of telecoms infrastructure rampart.

    He said IHS, which bought its “passive towers”, has promised to deploy alternative energy sources to low operating cost, especially the cost of fuelling generators at base transmission stations (BTS).

    Speaking on the achievements of the telco, its Chief Executive Officer, Mathew Willsher, said it has grown its subscribers’ strength, adding that the future is bright for the telco as the NCC intensifies efforts at ensuring a level playing field for all players.

    “We have acquired 20 per cent more customers. We are just 19.5million customers, which up from 15.3 million same time last year; that’s very good growth our proportion of the market is now 15 per cent , so over the last six years, we have grown our business and establish as a major player in the market. We are very encouraged by the growth.

    “Of course, it is a company that was built on great customer experience, we are leaders in customer satisfaction, but it is very important that we continue to do so though with new customers, there will be increasing demand and increasing pressure on the network.

    “We are not standing still; we are investing and of course expanding capacity so that we can remain leader in their minds for their experience and remain leader indeed in the industry’s mind as we already are for network quality recognised by the NCC.”