Digital broadcasting: China offers helping hand to Africa

StarTimes which has already secured the right to telecast 2018 World Cup to African countries except South Africa last week in Beijing, China hosted over 400 delegates from Africa and Asia on digital migration. The 7th edition of the seminar focused on Content, Technology and Finance. The forum series also serve as a platform to deepen China-Africa relationship. Daniel Obi who was at the meeting, reports.

China is singing a song for Africa. It is not clear whether the African countries understand the theme and tune of the new song. As attractive bride, Africa is always waiting for best suitors, even if the new partners are its peers or younger.

Today, China which started serious economic development about 50 years ago, has found Africa as an ally and it is interested in assisting the crawling continent overcome some of its socio-economic challenges. Unfortunately, most of the African countries, including Nigeria with abundant resources are not copying countries like China on their developmental trajectory.

Last week, StarTimes, Chinese private operator in pay TV market and working closely with Chinese authorities organized the 7th Africa Digital TV Development Seminar in Beijing. Even with the existence of African Union and similar organizations in Africa expected to take up that challenge and chat a course for Africa on such issues, about 300 delegates from Africa alone attended the forum designed to raise consciousness about digital migration and understand right models for the process.

Large Turnout

Over 400 delegates from 43 African and Asian countries were present at the seminar in China discussing African issue, including about 30 ministers of information and Communication from African countries. It is said that the the 2017 forum was the largest in terms of turn out.

The large turn out did not only indicate the importance by African nations to switch off analogue and transit to digital  broadcasting like other ITU members but the delegates are basically seeking urgent assistance and partners to embark on the project.

The forum however provided an opportunity for African delegates to share their experiences about the expansion of digital technology, challenges as well as planning for the future. The forum is also a platform to deepen Chinese- Africa relationship. StarTimes, as big player in Pay TV in Africa and perhaps as vehicle for pushing Chinese interest in Africa offered to assist African nations on this journey

Importance of Digital transition

Ordinarily, digital communication would change the media sector as it would encourage more programmes on TV and radio; it would improve quality of TV programmes and accessibility and create new media services. Accordng to experts, “Digital broadcasting offers improved sound and reception and new multimedia. Digital migration also offers a solution to frequency congestion and encourages more programmes”

At the forum, the chairman of StarTimes, Pang Xinxing did not agree less when he said that digital migration is an elixir to economic development. According to him, with improved pictures, there would be more advertisements and product sales. Digital television would also create more employment opportunities for content developers.

Pang specifically said that digital broadcasting would enhance education as some channels that would come on stream would be devoted to education issues.  “Digital Migration can create new opportunities for all stakeholders in the value chain as it would form a new industry and improve social live”

Pang said, for Africa to achieve the complete switch over to digital transmission it must adopt a unified system of technology and adopt  other business models such as PPP.  “Digitisation is a complex technologically-intensive process that also requires huge capital investment. It should be seen as a social project because it will affect how people receive and share information,”  Pang said.

The world-wide digitization process is also undertaken to free up spectrum for the growth of the information technology industry. The transition to digital terrestrial television broadcasting is a complex process, requiring the involvement of legislators, regulators, broadcasting companies (content producers, broadcasters and network operators), manufacturers and viewers.

Pang said African countries must begin to develop legislation and policies against the introduction of outdated technology on their markets. Regulations around the use and importation of analogue or second-hand digital broadcast equipment should be discouraged as such items are electronic waste. Africa is on a steady march forward in terms of digitization and should take full advantage of being late-comers to the field.

2017 is a critical year for Africa to meet the analogue switch-off deadline and by following a pan-African approach to technology, financing and content development – all citizens can be guaranteed of enjoying a digital life, Pang said. Apart from clearer images, increased channels for content and easier reception the availability of radio spectrum will allow expansion of the internet-based technology.

According to  Elisante Ole Gabriel, Tanzania’s Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of information, Culture, Arts and Sports; “A completely digitized Africa is vital as digital broadcasting empowers citizens especially in the rural livelihoods with necessary information.” Gabriel said advances in technology meant that more African citizens would be able to access information using internet-based technology.

Why Africa is slacking on the process

There has been multiplicity of factors affecting Africa progress to digital migration. Minister of Communication for Ghana, Ursula Owusu- Ekuful captured it succinctly when she told BusinessDay at the forum that lack of commitment, lack of funding, inability or uncertainty of the right technological partner to go with and the lack of understanding of the need for the digital migration have all combined to affect Africa progress on the transition.

According to her, Africa is always looking for assistance to execute certain projects. “The way we have positioned ourselves as Africa make other countries look down on us. It is true we have a lot of need but we also have a lot to contribute to development around the world. There is much opportunity in Africa.

For instance, if we look at the content on the TVs much of it is taken from the Western world. We can do more by training and developing our human resource, she said.

China’s interest in Africa

China understands Africa’s slow start to issues either due to the factors listed by Ghana’s communication minister or that it is given that the Western world must start things first. However, StarTimes wants to assist Africa migrate not as a social corporate responsibility but as a business.

Through the assistance on digital efforts, China is also showcasing that there is much more Africa and China could do together, says Ursula Owusu- Ekuful.

Tong Gang, Vice minister of China State Administration also emphasized the point that “the cooperation between Chinese and African media is in accordance with the Chinese advocacy on One Belt and One Road. China is willing to deepen cooperation in the field of media development, promoting the digital migration in Africa”

Nigeria’s Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed who described the 7th edition of the seminar as the most successful forum organized by StarTimes not only in terms of turnout but in terms of content said this  year,  the three major pillars of digitalization were addressed. They are technology, content and financing which are critical to the digital era.

Fastracking Digital Migration in Africa

To hasten Africa’s digital migration, StarTimes chairman suggested to African countries to adopt PPP model, stating that StarTimes is ready for self-financing responsibility and providing working capital to achieve full digital transition.

“The government of the project country applies for the concessional loans and preferential buyer’s credit to provide the project construction capital”. He said the loan maturity period is 20 years with grace period of between 5-8 years and interest rate of 2 percent.

According to the StarTimes boss, the repayment of combination of government loan and company investment would be generated from the operation of this project itself which would further create job opportunities, increase government tax revenue and release frequencies and obtain digital dividends.

For African governments, he said the transition would assist to establish a brand new digital television industry by attracting investment, technology, management, talents and training resources. It would also help realise nationwide digitalization, flourishing broadcasting and television industry, improve the national quality, promote social and industry development, release more frequencies and generate digital dividend.

On the advantages for nations’ TV stations, Pang said the migration would help in realizing digitization of  shooting, recording, editing and play-out system of radio and TV; enhancing content production capability and quality; realizing digitalization of  content transmission, enhancing transmission quality and coverage ratio.

Some of  the African delegates agreed that PPP is a better choice in the project process. Eugene Lenn Nagbe, Minister of Information, Cultural Affairs of Liberia said “Africans must find a creative way to enhance digital migration process where many countries are lagging and many may not meet the targeted completion date set by ITU unless we collectively endeavour to  address the peculiar hurdles each country faces”

He agreed that to convince legislature to spend money on digital migration as opposed to roads or schools or hospitals would require a funding plan which is easily palatable.

After the two-day wake-up call seminar with the theme ‘Universalize Digital TV and Enjoy Smart Life’, the African delegates who were in high spirits were re-energised and ready to re-assess their progress on digital migration with efforts to achieve the 2020 deadline.

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