DIGITAL MIGRATION: REGULATORY REVIEW FINDINGS DOCUMENT GAZETTED

DIGITAL MIGRATION: REGULATORY REVIEW FINDINGS DOCUMENT GAZETTED

• 27 March 2025
• Communications & Digital Technologies
• SA Legal Academy

Following a review of the 2012 digital migration regulations, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa has published a findings document pointing to the need for a digital terrestrial television (DTT) regulatory framework. Begun in March 2024, as SA Legal Academy reported at the time the inquiry explored a range of issues including:

• efficient spectrum allocation
• licensing frameworks, and
• consumer accessibility to broadcasting services.

The findings document focuses on largely technical issues, including:

• those specific to Multiplex 1-7
• multiplex allocation policy concerns
• licence terms
• channel authorisation
• roll-out targets/coverage and access
• data services
• an engineering service channel
• technical bodies supporting migration, and
• DTT technologies

In their comments ICASA notes, among other things:

• low DTT adoption rates, and
• set-top box issues, including government subsidies

Against that backdrop, the document points to:

• ‘the importance of identifying barriers to DTT uptake and developing targeted initiatives that ensure equitable access to digital broadcasting services’, and
• the need to formulate regulations that, among other things ensure that DTT broadcasters can offer new channels of interest to audiences ‘ensure that DTT broadcasters can offer new channels of interest to audiences” (‘making the transition from analogue to digital more appealing’, and
• the ‘significant role’ of ‘incentive channels … in encouraging migration to DTT’.

Please click the link below for more information:

• findings document

Published by SA Legal Academy Policy Watch

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