Despite 10 years already wasted on the digital switchover (DSO) journey, the nation may still not attain it until 2021.
A digital broadcasting plan covering 116 countries (mainly in Africa and Europe) was agreed for the frequency bands 174-230 MHz and 470-862 MHz at the ITU Regional Radio Communication Conference (RRC‑06) in Geneva in June 2006.
According to the plan (known as the GE06), the latest set date for switch off was June 17, 2015 (except for some countries in frequency bands where the deadline is June 17, 2020).
But due to lack of political will, inadequate funding and corruption, Nigeria could not transit by the set date and opted to go regional in phases.
An analogue broadcast signal directly represents the transmitted sound and picture through deliberate variations in signal voltage and radio frequencies. All systems preceding digital television were analogue television systems, while digital broadcasting works by translating sound and picture into digital data rather than analogue waveforms. There is a worldwide transition to digital broadcasting but a much slower process of digitalisation for radio.
Part of the process to ensure a hitch-free exercise is the digital mapping of the country. The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), charged with making sure Nigeria transits from analogue to digital broadcasting, has however concluded this.
The Guardian learnt that the 2021 date is a 25-month period during which the NBC hopes to complete the switchover. The commission will begin with densely populated areas, including Lagos, Kano and Port Harcourt as test grounds.
NBC’s director general, Ishaq Modibbo Kawu, confirmed this new development in an interview recently..
He however revealed that a major boost to the initiative would be a N30 billion the commission is expecting from the Federal Government. He said the money would be released in two batches of N15 billion and would be repaid from resources that would be realised from the list of frequencies to be auctioned, including the 700MHz.
The director general maintained that a broadcasting revolution is forthcoming. According to him, the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting will not only create opportunities for the provision of ICT services but also improve the economy.
He disclosed that the NBC now has a plan for all the locations where it will have digital transmission facilities, especially the major population centres in the country. “It is very important because if you look at the demography of Nigeria, the majority of Nigerians, for the first time in history, now live in the urban areas,” Kawu said.
“What we have decided to do is to consider taking digital broadcasting to all those major population centres. In the past, we started with regional rollout; we choose a state by geo-political zone. But with a little mapping process, we now have all the major population centres. Indeed, over the next 15 to 25 months, the possibilities are that we are going to be rolling out in these major centres.
“More significantly, we are working on the possibility of bringing the original plan that we had initially, and then launch in Lagos, Kano and Port Harcourt. This is a major development,” he said.
Kawu said further that the NBC, for the past three months, has been discussing with a South Korean company on the acquisition of Set Top Boxes (STB) or decoders. According to him, the company had accepted to come and put facilities in place to produce one million STBs in Nigeria, “so that we can have boxes that will service the rollout in the different locations.”
He said: “In the past, the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) in China insisted they are paid before production. But now the Koreans are saying, ‘we will give you the facility. You produce in Nigeria then you can sell and give us the money.’ And that is very significant for all the companies because there is not a lot of money for them from the banking system. That is a major development for us, in terms of being able to roll out in Lagos, Kano as well as Port Harcourt, which are the three major population and economic centres in Nigeria.”
Speaking further on trans-border interference, the NBC boss said the situation has been a major issue in West Africa; hence the commission is rolling out in a way that would not affect other countries. He downplayed the challenge, stressing: “Nigeria is far ahead of its neighbouring countries in the rollout of DSO.”
A telecoms expert, Kehinde Aluko, commended the NBC for the feat but regretted: “Nigeria is slow in everything. You can imagine when we agreed to switch over – 10 years ago! I think, besides corruption, the major challenge is the lack of political will. Count the number of governments we have had since 2006. We have had Obasanjo, the late Yar’Adua, Jonathan, and now Buhari. We are just not serious as a country. The handlers of the country are insensitive. They prefer to spend billions on frivolities. If through digital mapping we get it right, this time, that’s good. But let’s just move and not stagnate again.”
Credit: Adeyemi Adepetun, The Guardian
DSO Timeline:
2006
It will be recalled that Nigeria’s journey to the switchover from analogue to digital broadcasting started in 2006 when the International Telecommunications Union, ITU, Council adopted its Resolution 1185 to transit from analogue to digital terrestrial broadcasting.
It is imperative to note that Jos, the Plateau State Capital has always been a hot spot of history in Nigeria. For instance, in 1959, the Western Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation, WNBC, launched the first TV station in Africa. In 1975, the first colour TV was switched on, and this year 2016, Nigeria has transited from analogue to digital broadcasting.
2015
It would be recalled that Nigeria’s inability to meet up the June 17, 2015 deadline for transiting to digital terrestrial broadcasting stipulated by the International Telecommunications Union, ITU, was as a result of poor funding.
2017.
No going back on June 2017 Digital Switchover deadline— Buhari
Abuja—President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday vowed that his administration remained irreversibly committed to meeting the June 2017 deadline for the switchover from analogue to digital broadcasting. Buhari President Buhari made the promise yesterday at the Abuja Launch of Digital Switch Over, DSO, in broadcasting.
Buhari President Buhari made the promise yesterday at the Abuja Launch of Digital Switch Over, DSO, in broadcasting.
The President, who was represented by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, at the launch, said the Federal Government was also determined to ensure a seamless roll-out of the DSO in all the states of the federation because of the multiplier effect of the benefits.
He expressed optimism that the exercise would create jobs in the area of content and software development, provide the platform for film producers and musicians to release their productions directly to households, and substantially cut off piracy.
Given the significance of the DSO to the economy, Buhari said local industries were already experiencing a boost from the new vista in digital economy, with several indigenous companies now manufacturing set-top-boxes.
“Technology is transforming our lives and livelihoods daily in new and more dramatic ways. But perhaps more important are the doors opened by digital transition. “The successful launch of the pilot scheme in Jos in April has clearly demonstrated the gains of Digital Switch Over. “Let me restate for emphasis that this government is irreversibly committed to meeting the June 2017 deadline for the switchover in the West African sub-region and also to the roll-out of the DSO in all the states of the federation.
“The significance of the DSO cannot be lost on the world as the digital switchover becomes a reality in the capital city of Africa’s largest economy and most populous nation. “I am confident that DSO would liberalize access to digital broadcasting and increase the versatility of media information. interactive programming, two-way data exchanges, mobile reception of video, internet and multimedia data will open up.
“The opportunities that this will provide are only limited by the imagination. Advertising, formal education, sales and marketing are obvious low hanging fruits. “I had mentioned in my speech to the National Assembly that Nigerian artistes and entrepreneurs in music, entertainment and film making will be important pillars in our diversification plans,” he said. President Buhari, however, appealed to all state and local governments to be actively involved in the project because of the obvious advantages to the people and the economy. He commended the NBC,
Pinnacle Communications and Messerschmitt SMK for their performance on the switchover project. In his address, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji L:ai Mohammed, said the transition was expected to generate about N100 billion per annum through the FreeTV distribution network for Nollywood and also grow the TV advertising market by $400 million per annum through audience measurement. The Minister said the signal distributor had put up high quality service that would move customers and Nigerians from analogue to digital in a simple, technical sense to ensure a total overhaul of the whole TV watching experience and the economy around it.
“The core principles of democracy are equality, common participation, total access to information for all citizens, economic empowerment of all participants in the industries and a level playing field for Nigerian companies and entrepreneurs to build viable businesses. “By these, we are expecting to help diversify our economy by properly exploiting our great talent and creative human and natural resources, which we strongly believe are second to none in Africa,’’ Mohammed said. He listed some of the benefits of the digital economy to include offering of 30 free digital channels; free and easy access to government and public information through a touch of the remote control; current affairs and news available through the middleware on the boxes and job creation, among others.
