Digital T.V. project delayed

13 February 2018, 12:00AM

The completion of the Digital TV Project is delayed to 2019 due to reasons beyond the government’s control and the Regulator’s Office.

This was confirmed by the Regulator Lefaoali’i Unutoa Auelua-Fonoti in a statement on the Government’s Facebook page.

“The Digital TV initiative originally planned for the project to be completed by December 2017 after it was approved by Cabinet following five years of strategic planning,” she said.

“The initial plan was to prepare and plan the switch for five years then initiate the transition at the beginning of 2017 with December 2017 targeted as the date for completion.”

“After due diligence in preparations was completed, tenders were called inviting interested companies or consortium to run and operate the single multiplexer which is the platform for Digital TV.”

“The same recommended platform is adopted by Fiji and other P.I. countries.” 

“The concept is for one company to run and operate the platform and for all other broadcasters to hook up to it.” 

“Unfortunately after two rounds of advertisements not a single Expression of Interest were made therefore the onus is now with my office to search for an alternative solution.” 

“We have found an investor but details at this point in time cannot be released until all the underlying issues to ensure that both parties are satisfied are finalized.”

“The public will be informed accordingly.”

And what is Digital TV?

It is an innovative advance that represents the first significant evolution in television technology since color television in the 1950’s.

Digital TV can transmit multiple channels in the same bandwidth occupied by a single channel of analog television, and provides many new features that analog television cannot.

A switchover from analog to digital broadcasting began around 2006 in some countries, and many industrial countries have now completed the changeover, while other countries are in various stages of adaptation. 

Different digital television broadcasting standards have been adopted in different parts of the world.

13 February 2018, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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