Africa: Digital Migration Marred with Controversies

By Staff Writer

Cabinet Secretaries from Kenya, Burundi, Zambia, Gabon, Burkina Faso, Zambia and Niger presented their countries’ progress on digital migration during the three-day African Digital Migration and Spectrum Policy summit on Tuesday May 27.

Cabinet Secretary for Information Fred Matiang,i said court cases have delayed the rolling out of digital migration plan in Kenya, even as the country seeks to beat the June 2015 international deadline.

Addressing the discussants, Matiang’i shared the challenges and experiences encountered by his ministry in the process.

“The digital spectrum is an important resource that must be managed well so as to ensure maximum benefits from the dividends of the digital platform,” he said. “And this forum is the perfect opportunity for media stakeholders to strike a compromise.”

However, in an interview with the press, the CS denied that the Government had set no guidelines on release of spectrum to telecommunication firms.

At the moment, there is no Africa country that has fully migrated from analogue to digital platform due to procurement, legal and technical challenges.

 “It is important to recognize that the released spectrum shall support other services like advanced mobile services, broadcast mobile television and commercial wireless broadband services.” said Communications Commission of Kenya’s (CCK) Director General, Francis Wangusi said.

International Telecommunication Union Director of Radio Communications Bureau, Francis Rancy said the digital migration June 2015 deadline cannot be revised to suit those countries that have not made any progress so far.

During the summit, it emerged that Kenya is the only African country which has not subsidized the cost of set top boxes for consumers.

The summit was attended by representatives from over 30 countries.