This follows the completion of the first phase of the digital migration project in the Greater Accra and Ashanti regions of the West African country.
The second phase which will include the other regions is expected to be completed in October 2016.
A Deputy Minister of Communications, Edward Ato Sarpong who disclosed this, explained that the official switch on date for the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) transmission is end of October 2016.
He added: “The public awareness has already began and so between now and next year September, which is about a period of 15 to 16 months should be enough for all of us to acquire a set-of-boxes if we have to and for those who can afford a digital TV set we would have bought one”.
“What we are saying that between now and 31st October, 2016 will be the official digital switch on date,” he told Citibusiness.
According to him, after running the test transmission of the DTT network project for close to five months, all the analogue transmitters and frequencies would be switched off in the country to allow television broadcasting platforms to switch from broadcasting programs in analogue transmission to digital.
“There has to be an official switch on date and an official switch off date and we are taking October 2016 as switch on and September 2017 as the switch off date, “he said.
Mr. Sarpong said with the completion of the installation of the digital infrastructure, “the government would allow a one-year transition period for people to acquire the needed facilities for the migration of their television sets from analogue to digital”. Thereafter, he said, there would be a complete switch-off from analogue to digital broadcasting in the country”
Meanwhile, an independent body, under the supervision of the National Media Commission (NMC), would be set up to manage the digital platform.
Instructively, the Ministry of Communications in October last year, signed a contract with K-Net Limited for the roll out of the country’s DTT network project.
African Eye Report