Usaasa pushes forward set-top box deadline

Johannesburg - An agency tasked with supplying connectivity to all parts of South Africa has pushed forward a digital television set-top box public comments deadline from November 30 to February 28 2015.

This is according to a statement from the Universal Services and Access Agency of South Africa (Usaasa).

Usaasa is a state-owned company that works with the public and private sectors in bringing the likes of cellphone services and even broadband to under-served rural municipalities.

And the company has also been mandated through the Electronic Communications Act to manage the disbursement of set-top box (STB) subsidies to poor TV-owning households located throughout the country.

Set-top boxes are needed as part of South Africa's migration to digital television.

“To ensure that these subsidies are adequately distributed, Usaasa is required to firstly develop a criteria by which TV-owning households will qualify for subsidies and secondly to put in place infrastructure, systems and processes to manage the distribution of subsidies to qualifying households and ensure the acquisition of STBs by these households,” said Usaasa in a statement on Tuesday.

Usaasa explained that it has extended the public comments deadline from its initially planned date of 30 November to 28 February 2015 “in keeping with the spirit for broader inclusion and public participation”.

“Furthermore, Usaasa will embark on a national roadshow between 22 January and 28 February 2015 for further engagements with interested parties on this project,” said the organisation.

“Through this process, Usaasa will meet various stakeholders including but not limited to traditional leadership, local government and non-governmental organisations,” the organisation said.

Uncertainty over South Africa’s digital migration

As Usaasa changes deadlines for set-top box subsidy comments, question marks hang over whether South Africa will meet a June 2015 digital migration deadline set by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).

This is because local broadcasters are divided on issues such as set-top box controls for digital migration.

Also, the splitting up of the former communications ministry has caused confusion over where the responsibility for digital migration rests.

President Jacob Zuma announced in May that he was splitting the former overarching ministry into a new ministry of telecommunications and postal services and a separate communications ministry.

As a result, debate is raging over who should have responsibility over the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa), which is also tasked with the digital migration process.

Previously, President Zuma tasked the communications ministry with overlooking activities at Icasa. But in a recent government gazette, President Zuma proclaimed that some of the functions and responsibilities of Icasa would be transferred to the Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services (DTPS) as well.