Mozambique to miss digital migration deadline
Mozambique will miss its latest deadline for the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting, according to its Transport and Communications Minister Carlos Mesquita.
According to the Minister, the deadline for the changeover, agreed among countries in southern Africa, is Dec 31, 2016 but he admitted that Mozambique could not meet that deadline, although digital transmitters had been installed in some provincial capitals.
"The process will last six to seven months. We are practically completing the last two transmitters in border areas to avoid interference with the television signals of neighbouring countries," he added.
"We're going to have about 18 transmitters functioning as from Jan 1. We shall follow this by putting into place another 55 to 60 transmitters that will cover the entire country."
Mesquita put the total budget for the operation at $156 million, to be financed by China.
The Chinese company, Startimes Software Technology, has been chosen to implement the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting systems in Mozambique, winning an international tender in early November.
After the digital network is installed, it will be managed by the company TMT (Transport, Multiplex and Transmission). The shareholders in this body are State-owned telecommunications company TDM, Radio Mozambique and Mozambique Television (TVM).
Americo Muchanga, the chairman of the regulatory body, the Mozambique National Communications Institute (INCM), had said that if they are interested private companies, they could also join TMT.
