Washington, DC — The Kenyan government has announced its plans to complete the transition from analogue to digital television by March of 2015. Mortimer Hope, Director of Spectrum and Public Policy in Africa at the Groupe Speciale Mobile Association (GSMA), gave us some insight in the process and challenges of the digital switch-over.
There are three phases to the switch-over, two of which have already occurred. "It was a geographical switch-off," said Hope, rather than a technical phase plan. Larger cities like Nairobi and Mombasa were the first to undergo the transition, followed by smaller geographical areas in Kenya. When it comes to technical adjustments, TV broadcasters have already converted their production and camera equipment from analogue to digital. Signal distributors have transmitted TV frequencies to televisions station across the country, and it is up to subscribers to do their part. Users can continue using their currents TV sets if they buy a set-up box that converts digital signals back to analogue.
However, there have been many challenges to overcome during the switch-over. "We've seen an explosion in data demand and because of the explosion, we need to… increase the capacity of networks to meet that demand," said Hope. Land availability limits how many radio masts and towers can be built and the frequency spectrum, or the amount of unoccupied channels, is limited. As digital television becomes more commonplace, the number of broadcasters have more than tripled. "The challenge is we don't have enough spectrum to meet the growing demand for data in Africa," Hope said. Switching from analogue to digital television will free up more of the frequency spectrum so that it can to increase Kenya's capacity for data.
Though most television users have welcomed the change, some broadcasters are trying to resist the digital switch-over. Freeing up more of the frequency spectrum means that there will be more competition. Hope explained: "They don't want to make life easy for their competitors by making the spectrum available for the same [broadcasters] that compete with them for a portion of their viewership."
It is generally agreed upon that the benefits of the digital switch-over far outweigh the costs. "Within five years, that is by 2020, the GDP of Sub-Saharan Africa will increase by 49 billion dollars (USD)," Hope said. Over 500,000 jobs and business will be created in Kenya as the government begins licensing broadcasters to use available digital channels. It is also projected that neighbouring countries will follow Kenya's lead and make the switch from analogue to digital TV in the near future.
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Concerned with the environmental impact the switch-over has had on Kenya, GSMA has encouraged broadcast operators to practice in network sharing and comply with the national standards for telecommunications. "There will need to be… environmental impact assessment studies" conducted before radio masts and towers are built said Hope. Network sharing would greatly reduce the numbers of towers that would need to be built as multiple broadcast operators will be able to share a single tower.
In the end, the switch from analogue to digital TV will create more opportunities for technological advancement in Kenya. "Technology has improved over time and we are looking at the Internet and 4G [networks]," Hope said. Experimentation with 5G networks is also in its early phases. "[Kenyans] will be able to save a lot of time," Hope concluded. Faster technology will allow them to do more in a shorter amount of time. Television users who switch to digital broadcasts will experience better screen resolutions and sound quality. With the frequency spectrum space that is now up for auction, broadcast companies may also begin to offer new services to expand their current viewership and compete with others in the market.
The journey to digital television has not been easy, but Kenya's commitment to completing the switch-over has made them a leader of the African continent.
