GOtv Ghana Limited, in collaboration with the National Communications
Authority on Thursday February 21st 2013 organized a one day workshop on
Digital Migration titled "Digital Dialogue", at the Best Western Hotel
in Accra.
The workshop served as a platform for stakeholders in the
telecommunications industry and regulators to dialogue on Digital
Migration; the benefits and challenges of Digital Migration and what
migration means to Ghana.
Participants at the Digital Dialogue workshop included representatives
from the National Communications Authority (NCA), National Media
Communication (NMC), Ministry of Information and Media Relations, Ghana
Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) and Network of
Communications Reporters.
Giving the keynote address, the Director of Special Projects of the NCA,
Major (Rtd.) Emmanuel Owusu-Adansi, indicated the NCA's preparedness to
ensure a smooth transmission from Analogue to Digital transmission. He
revealed that the country would be able to continue with analogue
transmission should we fail to meet the 2015 deadline.
Mr. Edmund Fianko, secretary to the Digital Migration Committee and a
Manager, Engineering, at the NCA highlighted the framework for Digital
Migration and said "we are on course to migrate from analogue to digital
by 2015. We have the policy on migration formulated and ready for
implementation and at the moment, we have also selected the DVB T2
technology".
However, The Executive Director of Ghana Independent Broadcasters
Association, Mr. Gerald Ankrah expressed GIBA's frustration over the
failure of government in forming the Public Private Partnership (PPP) to
oversee the building and ownership of Ghana's Digital Infrastructure.
Adding to the dialogue, the President of the Network of Communications
Reporters, Mr. Charles Okine outlined the various roles the media can
play for a successful transition. He added "information distribution on
the migration process need to be thorough, there is a need for the
distribution of information brochures on Digital Migration and several
points of contact to get information".
Other speakers at the workshop were Gerhard Petrick from the Southern
African Digital Broadcasting Association (SADIBA) and Gregory Bensberg,
an Independent Consultant and a policy expert responsible for managing
Ofcom's spectrum clearance programme, which enabled the UK's 4G spectrum
auction in 2013.
Gerhard Petrick, Secretary, Southern African Digital Broadcasting
Association (SADIBA), shared with participants the Southern African
experience in the preparation for transition to Digital Broadcast
Service, outlining the several challenges they are faced with. This
includes the lack of transparency on the part of the government to be
decisive on the actual dates of migration as well as the indecisiveness
on the manufacturing of T2 boxes.
Gregory Bensberg, a policy and technical expert for Ofcom and the
Independent Television Commission for over 20 years spoke on Digital
television development in the United Kingdom, emphasising on the need
for alternative content creation in the Digital world. He also shared
the UK success story and compared it with other European countries.
With the launch of GOtv in Ghana, the first digital operator using the
DBV T2 operator, Ghanaians can now enjoy an increased number of
channels, better picture and sound quality plus high definition
television. GOtv viewers will also not have to migrate or buy new boxes
when Ghana eventually goes Digital.