Delays in finalising the set-top box (STB) manufacturing policy, meant that the initial delivery date of August was missed. However, Communications Deputy Minister Obed Bapela stated on Friday that the Department of Communications (DoC) would hand over the document to Cabinet for consideration and approval within two weeks.

STBs would be required by households in order to watch television, following the switchover from analogue to digital broadcasting, which has been scheduled to start from April 2012.

Bapela stated that by September the policy would be clear and the DoC would then issue a request for proposals (RFP) from companies interested in manufacturing the five-million STBs that would be subsidised by government, for distribution to ‘poor’ households.

Bapela further stated that by December 2011, the manufacturers would have been selected, and should be ready to start manufacture of the STBs by January.

It was indicated that manufacture of the STBs would have to start by January or February 2012, so that they were ready for distribution from April 2012, when the digital broadcasting signal is due to be switched on.

All of the STBs that would be subsidised by government were required to be manufactured in South Africa, and the DoC also wanted to ensure that there was localisation of the components included in the STBs and that local materials were used for production.

The cost of the STBs was not yet clear, and would likely only be revealed following the RFP. The money for the STB’s would come from the DoC’s Universal Services Access Fund, and the DoC said that it was also in discussions with the National Treasury, should there be a shortfall of funds for the project.

The Deputy Minister was speaking after a roundtable event with companies from the ICT private sector in South Africa, which would need to assist government in meeting its targets.

Bapela said that some of the companies had voiced concern regarding the timelines in the digital migration process, particularly considering the delay of the publication of the STB manufacturing policy.

The delays were said to stem from issues regarding the finalisation of the STB standard, in particular, disagreements on the kind of encryption that was required to avoid piracy, and prevent theft of the boxes.

Officials said that Minister Roy Padayachie was expected to meet imminently with industry participants to “unlock the logjam” that existed among broadcasters and manufacturers.

The DoC committed to speeding up the process, and said that South Africa would be ready to start digital migration from April 2012.

There were some 150 representatives from the private sector present at the meeting, and the DoC said it was an unexpected response, but the meeting was useful.

The purpose of the meeting was to “develop an integrated strategy to forge government-industry partnerships and create of jobs”.

The DoC stated that in identifying direct jobs that could be created through digital STB manufacturing, a preliminary figure of 24 300 jobs was put forward.

The uptake of digital broadcasting technology would expand the public bouquet in content viewing, and increase the number of channels from the current three SABC channels to over 10.

The switch from analogue to digital broadcasting would also free up spectrum, known as the digital dividend, which other operators could then use to provide telecommunications services.

The DoC reiterated that the analogue signal would be switched off in December 2013.