The Zambian government has set June 15, 2015 as a switch off date from analogue terrestrial television transmission, in a bid to get the country to switch to digital TVs faster.
The Zambian government is hopeful that it will beat the 2013 and 2015 deadlines set by the regional grouping, the Southern Development Community (SADC), and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).
Amos Malupenga, permanent secretary in the ministry of information, broadcasting and labour said the Zambian government is now ready to embark on the implementation of the digital migration exercis..
A delegation of senior government officials and engineers are currently in China to learn the technical and financial capabilities of Huawei Technologies Company Limited and ZTE Corporation to execute the digital television migration project for Zambia.
“The interactive session we held with Huawei Technologies Company Limited and ZTE Corporation were an eye opener to the Zambian team,” said Malupenga, who is part of the delegation.
The meeting with the two companies, Malupenga said outlined requirements which Zambia, like any other country, would be expected to follow once the project was on course.
Huawei Technologies Company Limited and ZTE Corporation are among telecommunication companies that are bidding to partners with the Zambian government to execute the digital terrestrial television migration project.
The minister of information, broadcasting and labour Fackson Shamenda said the Zambian government has so far not engaged any company to execute the project.
Anthony Bwalya, an economist in the investments and debt management department under the ministry of finance and national planning who is also part of the delegation said, “The ministry was mindful of the type of financial support that it would require from its partners for the implementation process of digital migration project.”
In August 2010, the Zambian government constituted a digital migration national taskforce whose aim is to provide a roadmap on the implementation and success of the digital migration process.
The taskforce is being spearheaded by the Zambia Information and Communication Authority (ZICTA), the country’s telecom sector regulator.
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