Digital Migration increasing the digital divide

I recently gave an apparently ‘thorough’ workshop on digital migration in South Africa specifically examining the Department of Communication’s Digital Migration Strategy and its implications for South African media. Within this discussion a central question relating to development kept coming up: what are the implications for those living on the poorer side of the ‘digital divide’?

I know this is quite a technical and at times perhaps boring topic of discussion, but it is an important one. South Africa is in the unique position of needing to be somewhat ‘catapulted’ into digital migration because of well, soccer. Sounds like a bit of a leap, but really there is a connection. South Africa is due to host the FIFA Soccer World Cup in 2010 , an event of international proportions requiring top quality, fast and effective coverage. This need for digital infrastructure and broadcasting adds to an already daunting list of requirements for South Africa to fulfil before 2010. In reality absolutely everything from our airports, transport systems, stadiums and roads need to be organised by the time millions of soccer-lovers fly into our country.

The question becomes one of priority: will those living in rural or impoverished areas be left out of receiving top quality soccer matches and details in favour of getting the major cities up to scratch?

It is ironic that so few of the general public seem aware of this process called digital migration and how it will affect their lives. So let me briefly explain digital migration: It is best described as the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting at both the levels of transmission and reception of broadcasting. This transition is to take place within television broadcasting services and sound broadcasting. The digital transition consists of two important phases: the switch-on of digital broadcasting on the one hand, and the switch-off of analogue broadcasting on the other.

This discussion of ‘switching-off’ in particular led me to realise that the digital migration process, while positive in the long run, will have negative implications for those living on the wrong side of the digital divide. Firstly , Africa as a continent will be left behind in terms of the global digital divide because of the major costs involved in introducing the digital technologies. Whereas the UK have already begun switching off some of their analogue infrastructure this year, almost all African countries have yet to commence with even switching on their digital broadcasting.

Moreover, due to the high costs involved in purchasing digital receiver equipment, there will be a huge division among those who can afford to make the switch to digital and those who will be left receiving analogue transmission for years to come.

One suggestion for maintaining access to information has been discussed in terms of the Public Broadcasting Services. It has been proposed that at least one SABC service remains available on analogue indefinitely to ensure public access to news and information.

In their discussion of the digital dilemma in Africa, C Armstrong and R Collins say: “citizen access is perhaps the thorniest issue in the digital TV debate in South Africa”. They believe the problems for citizen access should be a powerful reason for adopting a cautious, phased approach to digital migration in South Africa. This issue includes problems of signal coverage (the metropolitan areas will take priority), affordability (of reception devices) and home-language provision (will all languages be taken into consideration?)

Affordability of things like the Set Top Box (STB) receivers needed in people’s homes is a serious deterrent for viewers wanting to undergo the digital switchover process. The Digital Migration Working Group found that around 4.5 million households in SA will be unable to afford a digital STB, no matter how low the entry-level price may be. A comprehensive government subsidy scheme has been proposed in order to remedy this situation to ensure STBs are accessible and affordable to the majority of television households, no matter how poor they may be.

Guy Berger's 2006 article on digital migration shows how digital broadcasting will certainly widen the digital divide in Africa, with those citizens unable to pay subscription fees being “condemned to analogue service for many years yet” (Berger, 2006:2).

Government’s promise of subsidies for the poor should therefore be heavily encouraged and monitored, or else the poor stand to be left even further behind than before. For ICTs to truly aid development in the future, the digital migration process should be taken into serious consideration. If this is done sooner rather than later, we could consider how the digital migration could actually benefit the poor and marginalised.

For updates on government policy on this matter go to: DVB’s website . You can also compare Africa’s development here in relation to other countries.