the transition from analogue to digital terrestrial television broadcasting in nigeria
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PRESENTATION BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEE ON TRANSITION FROM ANALOGUE TO DIGITAL BROADCASTING IN NIGERIA -‐
DigiTeam Nigeria. @
THE INTERNATIONALDIGITAL BROADCASTING SUMIT – AFRICA ABUJA NIGERIA
Corporate PresentaHon
6’TH -‐ 7’TH MAY 2015
www.digiteam.gov.ng
Corporate PresentaHon
THE TRANSITION FROM ANALOGUE TO DIGITAL TERRESTRIAL TELEVISION BROADCASTING IN NIGERIA
THE JOURNEY SO FAR
GENESIS
Nigeria, like all other Member States of InternaHonal TelecommunicaHons Union
(ITU) Region1 signed the Geneva 2006 Agreement on TransiHon from Analogue to
Digital Terrestrial Television BroadcasHng.
The Digital Plan covered the following Frequency Bands:
Ø 174 -‐ 230 MHZ. (VHF) AND
Ø 470 -‐ 862 MHZ. (UHF).
The agreed TransiHon Period:
Ø FROM 17 JUNE 2006 TO 17 JUNE 2015,
THE ITU REGIONS
ITU REGION 1
Aber WRC-‐07, the Broadcast Regulator in Nigeria – The NaHonal BroadcasHng
Commission – NBC. IniHated the sedng up a PresidenHal Advisory Commieee (PAC) on
TransiHon from Analogue to Digital Terrestrial BroadcasHng in Nigeria.
This Commieee submieed it’s report to the government in 2008 with a well defined
Road Map that would have seen Nigeria compleHng the Digital Switchover by June 17-‐
2012.
Unfortunately, because of poliHcal problems, the government of Nigeria could not
address the implementaHon of the recommendaHons of the PAC Report Hll 2012.
DigiTeam Nigeria, the ImplementaHon Commieee for the TransiHon was finally
inaugurated on 20’th December 2012.
NIGERIA’S APPROACH TO THE TRANSITION
POLICY DECISIONS ON DIGITIZATION IN NIGERIA: The following Policy Decisions were taken by Government in the implementaHon of the TransiHon from Analogue to Digital Terrestrial Television BroadcasHng in Nigeria:
Ø There will be a separaHon of funcHons in the Broadcast Industry, § The Broadcaster will be responsible for the Content of the Broadcast while § A Signal Distributor or Carrier will be responsible for the Transmission of the Signals
to the Viewers at home
Ø 3 Signal Distributors or Carriers are to be Licensed, one of which is to evolve from the Transmission Infrastructure of the Nigerian Television Authority – NTA.
Ø The Transmission Standard shall be the DVB-‐T2 Format with MPEG-‐4 AVC Compression Format.
Ø Set Top Boxes to enable exisHng Analogue Television Receivers to conHnue Receiving the Digital Transmission aber the Switch Over Date will be manufactured in Nigeria.
Ø The new Switch over Date is 1’st January 2015.
INITIAL CHALLENGES ON THE IMLEMENTATION OF THE GE-‐06 AGREEMENT
Aber the GE-‐06 Agreement there were significant development in Digital Television Technology both in: § Video Processing and Compression
§ New GeneraHon Television Transmission Formats,
These resulted in greater efficiency in the use of the available spectrum. Proposals were brought to subsequent World Radio Congresses for Co-‐ Primary AllocaHons of some bands of frequencies in the UHF Band, that were previously Allocated on Primary Basis exclusively for BroadcasHng.
INITIAL CHALLENGES ON THE IMLEMENTATION OF THE GE-‐06 AGREEMENT
At the World Radio Conference in Geneva 2007 (WRC-‐07) it was resolved that the Frequency Band 790 to 862 MHz. which before now was only exclusively allocated to BroadcasHng on a Primary Basis be now available for Primary allocaHon to other Services.
Also at the World Radio Conference in Geneva 2012 (WRC-‐12) it was further resolved that the Frequency Band 694 to 790 MHz. should be available for Primary AllocaHon for use by Mobile Broadband.
The end result of these ResoluHons is depicted graphically as follows:
MODIFICATIONS TO THE GE-‐06 DIGITAL PLAN
UHF SPECTRUM SHOWING THE BANDS AFFECTED BY THE DECISSIONS OF WRC-‐07 & WRC-‐12
IMPLICATION OF MODIFICATION TO THE GE-‐06 PLAN
MODIFICATIONS TO THE GE-‐06 DIGITAL PLAN
EffecHvely therefore, what is available to Terrestrial Television BroadcasHng as an Exclusive Primary AllocaHon is therefore
470 to 694 MHz.
MODIFICATIONS TO THE GE-‐06 DIGITAL PLAN
There was therefore the need to review the GE-‐06 Digital Plan to relocate all Assignments above 694 Mhz. to within 470 to 694 MHz.
THE JOURNEY SO FAR
In Close collaboraHon with NBC and working with Broadcast Regulators of all ECOWAS Member States we have developed and harmonized the following:
Ø A Common Transmission Standard for all ECOWAS Countries
Ø A Common Minimum Standard for Set Top Boxes / Digital Receivers.
Ø These SpecificaHon / Standards were approved by the ECOWAS Ministers of BroadcasHng / CommunicaHons at the 25’th September 2013 MeeHng in Banjul, Gambia.
Ø The NBC has carried out Frequency Re-‐planning to relocate the StaHons in the GE-‐06 Plan that fall within the DD-‐1 and DD-‐2
Ø Frequency Co-‐ordinaHon with our immediate Neighbouring Countries have been concluded but will be revisited at actual point od Digital Transmieer Deployment
Ø The Bidding Process to select the second Signal Distributor has been concluded and the Bid was won by Pinnacle CommunicaHons Ltd. as the second Signal Distributor and they have since been so licensed.
Ø Companies for the Manufacturing of Set Top Boxes have been selected.
Ø The selecHon of the CondiHonal Access Sobware to protect the Set Top Boxes manufactured in Nigeria has been concluded.
Ø The Jos Pilot Project has been done and one of the Signal Distributors Partners has already put in place a Digital Terrestrial Television Network covering the whole of Plateau State.
Ø Virtually all the Technical Issues relaHng to the TransiHon have now been resolved.
? CAN WITH MEET THE JUNE 17’TH 2015 DEADLINE
At the early planning stages of the TransiHon, focus was all about the Digital Dividend resulHng from the TransiHon. Dividend mainly from the point of view of the Frequency Bands leb over which will be available for sale aber the TransiHon and of course the resulHng increase in Programming. If it was simply migraHng the exisHng Broadcast StaHons to a Signal Carrier and thereaber licensing addiHonal Broadcasters to fill the extra channels we could have met the June 17 Deadline However, as the strategy for the TransiHon progressed and aber a series of consultaHve meeHngs with various Stake Holders, the Regulators decided on a more holisHc Ecosystem for the Broadcast Industry in Nigeria.
Wide offering of diverse channels • Regional / local coverage • Segmented / thematic offering • FTA / Pay
Improved image and sound quality
Efficiency in use of spectrum • SFN • Digital Dividend Spectrum
Interactive services • T-Government • T-Banking • T-Voting • T-Gaming
Digital Nigeria
Cross platform connectivity (PC, Mobile, PDA)
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Increased Revenue • Digital Access Fee Collection • Advertising Measurement • Set top Box Manufacturers • Income from DD auction
NBC’S VISION FOR TELEVISION IN NIGERIA
This is the goal of the NBC for Digital Nigeria Where we are now we cannot achieve this goal by June 17, 2015 NaHonwide We are aware of the consequences of not meeHng the deadline However we have plans in place to ensure that our Analogue Transmission does not cause any interference to our neighbouring countries that are able to meet the deadline.
CONCLUSION
We have come a long way in the TransiHon process The journey ahead is now much shorter than where we were coming from
WE WILL GET THERE.
