https://zimbabwe.misa.org

State of Broadcasting and
Digital Migration in the Region

Digital broadcasting migration status in Zimbabwe

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Zimbabwe has invested more than USD 40 million
to this date towards upgrading its transmitter
network and revamping of the studios.
Zimbabwe has so far mostly spent funds on
establishing the infrastructure and this has
not been synchronised with set top boxes
acquisitions, consumer awareness and education.
There is now a situation where the studios and the
transmission network are digitally compliant but
STBs are not available. At this moment Zimbabwe
should be having dual illumination, i.e. both
digital and analogue transmissions in all the
transmission centres that have been equipped
with digital transmitters. Digital broadcasting
migration is not a technical issue but ultimately
a behavioural change process among the
public and a process that needs education and
communication at its heart. World over two
thirds of digital broadcast migration budgets go
towards consumer awareness and acquisition
of STBs. In Zimbabwe most effort has been put

on infrastructure, the least important of the
three pillars.
Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation television
signal is already available on satellite on
the DSTV platform and viewers are already
accessing it digitally on the Digital Video
Broadcast-Satellite (DVB-S) platform. Viewers are
already getting the clear signal and that is one of
the benefits of the DTT migration. Transmitting
the signal terrestrially is not going to be good
enough incentive to trigger the viewers to migrate
to DTT. Exciting content is the key.
There are concerns already regionally that
the DTT is turning out to be the platform for
the people with low income levels since those
who can afford to subscribe to the satellite pay
platforms have continued to ignore the presence
of the DTT platform.

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