1) Over 100 million African households have televisions but only 2.5 million currently receive digital terrestrial television (DTT), with millions more soon in Tanzania and Kenya. 2) By 2020, almost 50 national DTT networks need to be set up across Africa and over 500 existing TV channels will need to convert to digital format. 3) Lessons from early African adopters like Mauritius, Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, and Uganda show that public awareness campaigns, realistic deadlines, timely policy approval, competitive markets, and reliable set-top box supply are critical for a successful DTT transition.

1. Digital Broadcasting
Roundtable - Lagos
Russell Southwood, CEO, Balancing Act
http://www.balancingact-africa.com
@BalancingActAfr

2. Summary - DTT impact (Aug. 2013)
 TV households: more than 100 Million but only 2.5
million of them receive DTT (soon more M. in TanzaniaKenya)
 100 Million African TV households need to get DTT
equipt (STB, DTV, antennas)
 >500 African TV channels still need to convert to digital.
 Between now and 2020, almost 50 national terrestrial
networks need to be set up
 At least 56 DTT programme bouquets will need to be
created >need for digital content and digital channels

3. The new African TV landscape
Number of Analogue TV Channels by country (2011)
43% of countries only have 1-2 analogue channels.

4. Top 10 Sub-Saharan Markets by TV
households
Country
TV Households
Nigeria
24,203,000
South Africa
11,500,000
DRC
5,000,000
Kenya
5,000,000
Mozambique
4,400,000
Ghana
2,282,992
Ethiopia
2,000,000
Cameroon
1,184,661
Cote d’Ivoire
1,000,000
Uganda
1,000,000
Source: Balancing Act estimates based on various sources

5. Likely shape of Future Landscape
- +5-10 years
 More Free To Air channels even in countries currently with
only 1-2. Still major FTA players but rest fragmented.
 More thematic rather than time-based channels, Former will
be widely distributed.
 Increase in Pay TV subscribers. More competition. Triple
Play.
 Satellite “fremium” channel bouquets
 Advertisers’ perspective: Have advertise on more channels
because behavior less predictable. Impact of data Bermuda
Triangle.
 Increasing impact of downloads as bandwidth accelerates
(LTE). VOD, etc. Both paid and unpaid (iROKO & Buni TV)
 Greater level of international content sales
 The electricity factor.

6. The DTT transition in Africa
Key benefits
More channels
Universal access to information, variety
Better sound and image quality
Free up spectrum for other services
(telecoms)
4
Telecoms development
5
Reshape the communications sector
6
Enter the digital age
7
Option: more local content
8
Option: more delivery platforms
9
10 Option: combat piracy
11 Option: interactive services
12 Option: e-governance
13 Option: extra local jobs
1
2
3

7. DTT progress so far
Status
Number of countries
No announcement of timeline
(“Nowhere to be seen.”
11
Policy paper, Task Force,
Committee, Training
(“Slow adopters”)
17
Pilots
20
Early adopters (Mauritius)
7
Completed (Tanzania?)
1

8. Spectrum issues - Government
strategic choices and impact
Low (RW) and Very Low(LR) Occupancy

9. Spectrum Issues – Govt. strategic choices
and impact
Overview of High, Medium and Low Occupancy
Below the headlines
 Red = High; Yellow = Medium;
Green = Low
 DRC and Uganda (152 MHz) –
only high in capitals
 Same is true for Medium
countries except Ghana
 Majority of African countries,
analogue TV broadcasting
doesn’t use up much spectrum
and therefore doesn’t occupy
much in the band 790-862MHz

10. Spectrum: What is likely to happen
 2% of countries will incur increase in spectrum occupancy when
digital broadcasting introduced (Ethiopia).
 37% of countries no change (Algeria, Libya, Rwanda, Southern
Sudan, Zimbabwe, Central Africa Republic, Chad, Comoros,
Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gambia, Guinea, GuineaBissau, Lesotho, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Sao Tome and
Seychelles)
 61% of African countries will incur a decrease in spectrum
occupancy when digital broadcasting is introduced (Angola, Benin,
Botswana, Burkina Faso, Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia,
Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal,
South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda,
Zambia, Burundi, Cape Verde, Congo-B, DRC, Côte d'Ivoire,
Malawi, Morocco, Sierra Leone and Somalia)

11. Learning from others:
1. Mauritius
 360,000 TV households. Only small island.
 One TV operator, the state-run MBC., and one signal carrier,
Mauritius Multi Carrier Ltd (MMCL).
 Started digital migration with in 2006. Seven years to complete
in very favorable circumstances. Will switch off this year
 3 multiplexes offer 12 channels.
 Three key lessons:
1. Existing aerials not suitable. Poor replacement. Training for
installers
2. Retail staff not familiar with DTT. High volume of queries
3. Problems synching audio and video with cheap set top boxes
Touring van to check signal

12. Learning from others:
2. Kenya and Tanzania
 Convergence on policy approach: Tanzania: Multiple signal
carriers but Star Times/TBC ahead of everyone else Kenya:
First KBC, then Star Times subsidiary and DStv Go TV
 Artificially short deadlines: TZ – Analogue switch off by region.
First off Dar es Salaam. KE – This December 2013 but likely to
be delayed.
 Not finished: Kenya: 430,000 set-top boxes out of 1.5 m
households. Lack of awareness and boxes.
 Three key lessons
1. Clarity needed over signal carrier approach. How do different
platforms work together?
2. Artificial deadlines do not work. Damage to broadcast
advertising in Tanzania
3. Need for a proper public awareness campaign and
4. Set-top box supply (several months to order and obtain
boxes)

13. Learning from others:
3. Nigeria
 One of first to set up a multi-stakeholder Digital Task Force. It
sent its report to President. That President died and was
replaced. Several years before it was adopted.
 In the meantime, Star Times started JV with state broadcaster
NTA. 1.5 m set top boxes before anyone else in the market.
Compare to Ghana.
 Nigeria now has 3 years to go from 1.5 m to 24m. Unlikely in 18
months left.
 Three key lessons
1. Ensure speedy approval of policy to give certainty and level
playing field. Give it priority
2. Don’t allow a single player to entrench itself in a dominant
position
3. Allow a realistic timetable even if it doesn’t meet the 2015
timetable

14. Learning from others:
3. Uganda
 Postponed deadline set for December 2014. Only 50 trial settop boxes. 1 m needed in Greater Kampala before switch-off
 Trial transmission area covers Greater Kampala (4
transmitters). Type approvals from UCC “soon”
 Ambitious national roll-out to cover 100%. 28 transmission
sites and 48 gap feeders Funding only for part of national
roll-out.
 International news channels – Al Jazeera, CNN and BBC –
pay to be on DTT bouquet
 Three key lessons
1. Get speedy type approval
2. Problems with monopoly signal carrier and funding
3. Allow a realistic timetable even if it doesn’t meet the 2015
timetable

15. Policy challenges
 Cost of the process – Who is going to pay? Government?
Public-private? Broadcasters? External provider?
 Lowering barriers to entry. Getting national signal coverage
as cheaply as possible. Encouraging new channels (eg
Learning Channel) How will this be achieved?
 One or more signal carriers?
 Level playing field. Giving DTT channel licences to both
existing and new entrants.
 Getting wider national coverage. Link with electricity supply.
Who’s responsible?
 Freeing up of spectrum for mobile broadband (4G/LTE), esp
valuable for rural areas. TVWS. When will this be done by?
 Limited engagement between telcos and broadcasters.
Converged approach?