Digital terrestrial television (DTT) service GOtv, which is owned by South Africa’s MultiChoice, has started rolling out mini-decoder devices dubbed ‘GOcards’ in East and West Africa.

The ‘conditional access model’ (CAM) is a mini-decoder device, developed by French based firm Neotion, that slots into a CI+ digital television equipped with the appropriate hardware.

The GOcard, in turn, is electrically powered by a television set and requires no cabling.

And GOcard bundles have officially gone on sale in Ghana on Monday after GOtv launched mini-decoder devices for its Kenyan market earlier this month.

At this stage; though, the GOcard is not available as a stand-alone product as it is only bundled with selected Hisense televisions in Ghana.

“Devices like the GOcard are the best and easiest solution to receive digital TV signals,” says a press statement from GOtv Ghana.

“They will support Africa's digital migration at the economic level and meet the high security requirements regarding content protection,” added the company.

The press statement goes on to explain that the GOcard is compatible with the Hisense 32”, 39” and 46” integrated digital televisions in Ghana.

Meanwhile, the move to unveil the mini-decoders come as a June 2015 International Telecommunications Union (ITU) deadline nears.