South Africa’s telecoms regulator, ICASA, has awarded its second licence for DVB-H mobile TV broadcasting to MultiChoice. Multichoice and e.tv, the first licensee, will share a DVB-H multiplex and have 12 months to launch services. At the same time, South Africa is reconsidering whether it should adopt Japan and Brazil’s ISDB-T instead of pursuing the deployment of DVB-T. Meanwhile, the Brazilians are conducting tests to prove that the ISDB-T standard can be deployed in the 8MHz bands currently used throughout the African continent.
The lack of definition regarding the DTT standard at the same time that DVB-H licences are being awarded raises questions about the potential profitability of future mobile TV players: will a DVB-H network be built in the next 12 months only to compete with potential free-to-air 1-seg broadcasts?
As it stands, 41 African countries could still opt for ISDB-T, influenced by South Africa’s decision, corresponding to approximately 1.4 billion people. This would significantly add to the current ISDB-T market, which is currently limited to Latin America and Japan and covers 580 million people (click on diagram below).
The conflicting signs given by the government of South Africa are symptomatic of widespread confusion in the continent: the debate over transmission standards has been plagued by misinformation, and governments are mixing the attributes of each standard with the benefits of particular network configurations, compression and interactive middleware choices.
Farncombe believes that countries choosing a transmission standard should focus on maximising the economic benefit of DSO transition, and carefully analyse the following issues:
- Price of set-top-boxes: Although prices tend to decrease with time, there are still significant differences between technologies. This might have a strong impact on the duration of simulcasting, and force governments to implement wider subsidy schemes, and must be carefully analysed against the risk of creating a legacy base of set-top-boxes.
- Incentives from standards’ proponents: Benefits offered by countries interested in expanding the reach of their technologies may prove persuasive.
- Overall long-term objectives: If one of the overarching objectives for DTT migration is to enable interactivity, then interactive functionality must be mandated; otherwise it will be ignored by the vast majority of manufacturers.
The selection of DVB-T technology for South Africa is the logical choice for financial and technical reasons. The cost of receivers for DVB-T is perhaps one 3rd that of similar ISDB-T so far more people will be able to afford it and hence the rollout will be very much more successful. DVB-T is a far better fit for the existing analogue broadcast infrastructure (20% more transmitters will be needed for ISDB-T to match the delivery capability of a DVB-T network) and this has been demonstrated in huge number of countries already converted/converting to digital. The roll out of ISDB-T in Brazil and the take up by viewers is poor.
South African ministers should be listening to their own experts in broadcast and manufacturing who’ve spent time and money preparing for the digital switchover and the use of DVB-T.
Good luck South Africa!
ISDB-T is the top of technology, much better than DVB-T. Any engineer that reviews both standards will state that. Japanese developers team have made a strong and robust digital system that will allow Africa people receive an excellent signal with incredible quality in their TV sets, mobile TVs (on buses, taxi, trains) and in mobile phones. And the best: FOR FREE. Can you imagine watch your favorite program in your mobile phone while walking, while enjoying the beach, so on. I can do that in Brazil at this very moment. The image is incredible and steady. DVB-T doesn’t offer such quality. The signal of DVB-T doesn’t have the protection the Japanese created for ISDB-T so the signal will not cover all country with adequate level of quality. That was tested a lot in Brazil and ISDB-T is the best technology. Some guys from other countries think they can say how the rollout is going on at Brazil, but I said, they can’t. They are not here, I can say you people from this huge african continent: The rollout for digital TV in Brazil is the best if compared with rollout in Europe. 64% of population covered in only 3 years… and you know the extension of the country… The prices for setop box are very affordable: US$ 65,00. If Africa wants to be independent from the rules of Europe and have the best digital system, you should choose ISDB-T.
Hi there
I would like to direct this e-mail to Mauro, if he will happen to look on this site again. I work for a research institute in South Africa, and we are trying to gather as much info relating to the Brazilian migration to digital TV. Especially focusing on the possibility of subsidising the set top boxes for people who will ill afford the transition on their own. is there any link, documents or information that is open to the public you OR ANYONE ELSE… would be able to pass on to me for a heads up on what we should consider on all fronts? It would be such a great help.
Thanks for the above info, it all is quite informative.
Kind regards
Harriet Rinashe