adminPatrick Chitumba Senior Reporter
The government is confident of meeting the June 2015 digitalisation deadline set by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the Deputy Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, Cde Supa Mandiwanzira has said.
ITU set June 17, 2015 as the deadline for all countries, particularly those in the developing world that have been lagging behind in digitalisation, to migrate from analogue to Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT).
“The government is confident that with the availability of resources, ITU digitalisation deadline of 17 June 2015 will be met,” said Cde Mandiwanzira.
The deputy minister was speaking in Parliament on Thursday during the Senate’s question time in response to a question posed by Senator Chief Musarurwa.
Chief Musarurwa wanted to know if the ITU digitalisation deadline would be met.
“Efforts are being made by government towards mobilising resources for the digitalisation programme,” Cde Mandiwanzira added.
He said the government was busy sourcing funds locally and internationally to ensure that the deadline is met.
So far, 12 transmitters had been digitalised in the country.
The digitalisation move will see the opening of multiple television and radio stations.
Recently, Transmedia said it needs about $30 million to complete digitalisation of the country’s television broadcasting services by next year to meet the ITU digitisation deadline.
DTT reduces operational costs for broadcast and transmission, reduces use of spectrum and provides more capacity than analogue.
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