Digital Terrestrial Television
The Republic of Ghana signed the Geneva 2006 (GE06) Agreement, which established the Digital Terrestrial Broadcasting Plan in the frequency bands 174 – 230 Megahertz (MHz) and 470 – 862 MHz at the International Telecommunications Union’s (ITU) Regional Radio communications Conference and in conformance with the Antalya Declaration of 2006.
Advertisement
The Agreement sets June 17, 2015, as the deadline for the cessation or stoppage of international protection for analogue broadcasting transmissions.
The analogue to digital transition would ensure that Ghana conforms to global standards in Television and also offer the following benefits to consumers:
Better picture quality, clear sound, more channels, more interactivity to viewers. Additionally, there would be more job opportunities for local digital content development for the youth.
As a nation, Ghana shall benefit from frequency spectrum release known as ‘Digital Dividend’ which will be resold for other telecom services.
Status of Ghana’s Digital Broadcasting Migration
A National Digital Broadcasting Migration Implementation Committee was established with membership from stakeholders including Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA), National Media Commission (NMC), MoFEP, NCA, and MoC to provide technical advice and to ensure the smooth migration process from analogue to digital terrestrial broadcasting in line with international standards.
The implementation of the DTT Network Infrastructure would be completed in 10 phases across the nation.
The first phase commenced in November 2012 with the installation of transmission sites at Accra, Tema, Kumasi and Sekondi Takoradi.
A comprehensive Public Education and Awareness Creation Programme has been designed and soon to commence to ensure an effective migration.
Source: Ministry of Communications website