No fewer than 12 million TV Set-Top Boxes are expected for go-live of digital broadcasting in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, the broadcast regulator says.
Ahead of the Abuja Digital Switch Over (DSO) from analogue to digital broadcasting, Mallam Is’haq Modibbo Kawu, Director General at the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) says the industry regulator is expecting to get at least 12 million Set-Top-Boxes to be delivered by 13 licenced STB manufacturers’ for the Abuja DSO project.
The DG disclosed this in Abuja when he chaired a meeting of NBC with Channel owners, licensed Set-Top-Box manufacturers and Signal distributors, focused on the DSO with particular attention on the Abuja roll out.
He also says the NBC has been mandated to look into the cost of services that will be rendered by the signal distributors and other key players for a successful DSO, and urged them to have at the back of their minds that payments will be made for such services.
He also expressed satisfaction with Pinnacle Broadcast Ltd, one of the licenced signal distributors that is to provide services for the Abuja Roll-out on the progress made so far towards preparations for the Abuja DSO.
Dipo Onifade, the representative of Pinnacle Broadcast, also expressed the company’s appreciation to the NBC for the confidence reposed in them and assured the DG and other stakeholders that the company was fully ready to meet the deadline set by Government.
“Set-Top-Boxes will not be given out free like it was done in Jos where the Plateau State Government purchased some boxes and distributed to TV households in Plateau State except the Commission gets any commitment from the FCT Administration”, the NBC DG says.
According to him, 30 channels have been selected for the Abuja DSO roll out.
At the end of the meeting, the Set-Top-Box manufacturers pledged their commitment towards a successful DSO in Abuja.
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