Digital migration: How will Rwandans be affected?

Analogue switch off for Rwanda is perhaps long overdue, given the effort that has been sunk into the initiative, which is aimed at giving television viewers high quality images.Currently, Rwanda Broadcasting Agency, the country’s sole signal distributor, transmits both analogue and digital content, meaning that whoever has a television set that is compatible, can get digital content.Prioritising sensitisationThe government postponed an earlier deadline set by the East African Community (EAC) partner states, to switch to digital TV broadcasting, citing scarcity of digital broadcasting converters.However, even after the converters were procured, government embarked on a sensitisation campaign to ensure that minimal, if any, families are affected when analogue television is switched off.Currently, the television penetration in the country is at 6 per cent, according to statistics from Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Agency (Rura).“I bought a digital TV converter from Tele10 three months ago because during community work (Umuganda) we were informed that our television sets would be switched off if we don’t buy set top boxes. It is working well and we are receiving high quality signals,” Isaiah Manirakiza, a resident of Kacyiru, said.The authorised vendors of digital broadcasting converters are Tele10 Group Ltd, Trans-African Container Transport Ltd, and Sorim Ltd.Viewers can also access digital TV through pay-per-view service providers.Matilda Nyirarukundo, a resident of Kimihurura, said she is yet to get to any of the top-box distributors.“I am still relying on analogue transmission because pay-per-view television subscription is costly to maintain. I only watch Rwanda Television because that is the only channel on my television. I am still looking for money to buy the decoder,” she said.However, not all residents seem to be aware of the migration process.Jean Damascene Ntirenganya, from Kicukiro District, said: “We have heard about the transition from analogue to digital but are not aware of the requirements needed to go digital.”“I don’t have any decoder at home but I manage to watch Rwanda Television on my small colour TV screen. Whenever I fail to get clear images, I adjust the antennas and have clear viewing.”Ntirenganya is among many Rwandans who will go off air once the country fully switches to digital broadcasting.Kenya cracks itThe Kenyan government last week switched off analogue broadcasting signals in Nairobi and its neighbourhood, a move that saw several media owners petition court to have the deadline extended.The switch-off came two days after a court in Nairobi dismissed a petition filed by three media houses—Nation Media Group, Royal Media Services and Standard Media Group—to delay the migration further.The media owners, after losing the initial court ruling, switched off their sets in apparent strike. Only State-owned stations were on air, forcing court to rescind earlier ruling and give the media house 45 more days to migrate.Back home, Rura says the switch off will be effective once all television owners are able to access digital transmission, but officials say they will definitely complete the migration process ahead of the 2015 global deadline set by the International Telecommunications Union.“The vendors have not done much to enable Rwandans access Set Top Boxes (STBs), a reason behind the delay of switching-off of analogue transmission which had been scheduled for end of this year,” said Jean Baptiste Mutabazi, the Rura head of communication and media regulation.The cost Cedric Pierre-Louis, the managing director of Tele10 TV, said the institution had imported 10,500 decoders and have so far 4,000 adding that people should come and buy the digital TV converters.A decoder from Tele10 TV costs Rwf28, 500. Presently, Star Times, a Chinese-owned pay TV, and DStv subscribers access digital transmission.Rwanda Broadcasting Agency digital broadcasting hosts several channels, including TV5, MTV, France 24 (English and French), TV10 and Rwanda Television.ITU figures show that, globally, the halfway mark for digital penetration was passed in 2012 with an estimated 81 per cent of total households with a TV now receiving a digital signal in developed economies.“In the developing world, the digital switch-over is also moving forward apace with the number of households receiving digital TV almost tripled in the four-year period from 2008 to end 2012, reaching 42 per cent,” it said in a report.Globally, ITU figures show that there were an estimated 1.4 billion households with at least one TV set by end 2012. In the developing world as a whole, 72 per cent of households had a TV, compared with 98 per cent household penetration in developed countries. In Africa, fewer than one-third of households had a television set by 2012.

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Digital migration: How will Rwandans be affected?