The Zambian government has approved a plan to sell set-top boxes, required to pick up digital signals, on hire purchase to enable rural communities to acquire the equipment as the country migrates to digital broadcasting.

Last week the minister of Information and Broadcasting Services Chishimba Kambwili said the government was negotiating with an unnamed Chinese company to make available the set-top boxes for hire purchase over a period of three months.

This week the minister confirmed that the plan has been approved and will go ahead, however it will only be implemented during phase two and three of the country's digital migration project.

Zambia has only managed to migrate to digital along the line of rail where digital transmitters have been installed by China's Star Software Technologies Company that was awarded the contract under phase one of the project at a cost of $9.6 million.

"President Edgar Lungu will officially launch digital broadcasting on Monday next week at the mass media complex in Lusaka," Kambwili said.

Set-top boxes are currently being sold by the national broadcaster, Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation for ZMK130 (R215).

However, it is understood that stock has run out in most post offices where they are being sold.

ZNBC corporate affairs manager Masuzyo Ndhlovu assured the nation last month that over 100 000 set top boxes would soon be available.

The Zambian government has not said which company will implement the second and third phases of the project and how much it will cost to implement these phases.

For now, the Zambian government has said members of the public that are not along the line of rail can access ZNBC through pay television channel Go TV.