Government still hoping to stick to digital migration deadline, says Minister Ntshavheni
Communications Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said that the government still hoped to switch from analogue to digital by next week Friday’s deadline.
She’s also warned that the economic hubs of Gauteng and KwaZulu Natal would continue to struggle with poor connectivity unless they were hopefully switched off on the 30 June deadline.
Ntshavheni gave an update on Friday on the migration to digital.
Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni says private broadcaster, e.tv, appealed the 30 June switch off directly to the Constitutional Court.
The free-to-air channel says the move is “unlawful” as it will cut off millions of households who don’t have the required set-top boxes.
Ntshavheni says unless this switch happens, Gauteng and KwaZulu Natal will continue to struggle with poor connectivity.
“This country has two economic hubs which is Gauteng and KZN. And Gauteng and KZN have not been switched off and the networks remain congested and they will not decongest until we switch off. When we switch off, Sentech takes between a month and six weeks to complete the migration.”
Ntshavheni said that they would oppose e.tv’s appeal in the Constitutional Court.
She said that to protect consumers from buying analogue, the department has published guidelines on which televisions to buy.
-EWN
In other news – Meet the children and wives of actor Brutus (Themba Ndaba) from The Queen
South African actor, Themba Ndaba is one of the most talented actors in South Africa right now and he is best known for his role as Brutus Khoza in Mzansi Magic’s The Queen where he stars alongside Connie Ferguson.
The award-winning actor who turned 57 years old in February 2022 is a family man in real life. He has been married twice in real life, first to actress Sophie Ndaba with whom he has two children, Learn More
