16 Regional Comparative Analysis of DTT Migration The cost of DTT migration varies from country to country depending on size of country and population distribution patterns. Small countries like Malawi , Lesotho, Swaziland, Madagascar and Mauritius can easily be covered by a few transmitting sites.Malawi has only 8 transmitter sites deployed throughout the country and achieving about 48 % geographic coverage and reaching more than 80% of the population. Malawi only introduced analogue TV transmission 21 years ago in 1997. Botswana and Namibia have large land areas but have very small populations scattered throughout the countries. Most of the land is vast expanse of desert with no habitation. South Africa , Zambia and DRC have relatively large DTT budgets because of the size their land areas. Most countries in SADC employed phased approach to DTT migration. They simultaneously rolled out STB distribution with transmission equipment deployment. Zimbabwe has so far fully equipped 17 backbone sites with DTT equipment and erected towers at 8 gap filler sites but still no DTT services are available to the consumers because of unavailability of set top boxes. Establishment of DTT infrastructure should have been synchronised with STB access and availability. It is of no benefit to roll out DTT infrastructure without STBs. STB distribution must be done as early as possible to gather enough momentum of consumers’ desire to acquire the gadgets. Slow uptake of STBs will result in longer periods of dual illumination and that will be costly. To speed up uptake of STBs the government must subsidise the STBs but given the prevailing economic situation the Zimbabwean government may have no capacity to do so since STBs are imported. Switching on the already installed DTT equipment will serve no purpose when viewers do not have receive gadgets. Exciting content is also key to consumers’ desire to acquire STBs. Botswana and Swaziland are having challenges of low STB uptake because consumers feel content is not exciting. There is therefore need for governments to heavily invest in the production of exciting local content. Table 06 Comparative DTT budgets for SADC countries Country 1. Zimbabwe 2. South Africa 3. Malawi 14 DTT Budget USD 142 million Comment 40 million USD disbursed so far. No policy on STB distribution yet. No DTT services available about a year before the ITU June 2020 ASO date. 650 million Provided 5 million free STBs to poor households. STBs are subsidised for the rest. Will most likely meet the ITU june 2020 ASO deadline 5 million Is reaching more than 80% of population. Have already achieved ASO. Country had few analogue transmitter sites since it only introduced TV services as late as 1997 DIGITAL TERRESTRIAL TELEVISION MIGRATION IN ZIMBABWE - CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES