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Towards Effective Digital Broadcasting in Nigeria [analysis](AllAfrica Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) As Nigeria prepares for the June 2015 switch over date from analogue to digital broadcasting, Adebiyi Adedapo captures the fears of subscribers and optimism of operators. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), in 2006 set a targeted deadline for broadcast stations across the globe to transform from analogue mode of broadcasting to digital. By this date it was expected that analogue broadcast receivers will no longer get signals because the broadcasting stations would be transmitting on digital, except with the use of a Set-up Box. All sections of the broadcasting value chain such as transmission, reception, and content production, would be affected by this change, and the switch-over will cost a technical upgrade that will support the digital broadcast. Attaining digital broadcasting The digital campaign which began in June 12, 2009, began from the United States of America(USA) and was replicated in the United Kingdom between 2011 and 2012. The digitlisation has since been witnessed a considerable spread to every part of the world. According to ITU, digital television allows for better picture and sound quality, as well as more choice of channels and programmes. The digital system also enables broadcast stations to air several programmes simultaneously, using the amount of spectrum required for only one analogue channel. Moreover, experts assured stakeholders that that moving to digital technologies would reduce greenhouse-gas emissions due to a massive and almost tenfold reduction in the power consumption of broadcasting transmitters. Nigeria had targeted June 2012 for digitisation of broadcasting services in the country but the date was however shifted to 2015 due to the ill preparedness of broadcasting stations to kick-off the digitisation system. Switch-over date The new date of 17th June 2015 as fixed by the Nigeria Broadcasting Commission (NBC), appears sacrosanct. By this date, it is expected that all broadcast stations in the country would have achieved the digitisation status. To this end, the federal government, through its ministry of information, set up a technical committee to pilot the transformation process in 2012. Consequently, broadcast signal distribution licenses have been issued to two operators so far. They are StarTimes Group and Pinnacle Communications Limited. StarTimes operates a joint venture with the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) and has been operating since July 2010. While Pinnacle got its licence last July. However, getting all the broadcast stations operating in the country to meet up with the switch-over date remains a challenge as the process is capital intensive. Experts' views The Chairman, Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON) Mallam Abubakar Jijiwa had at a stakeholders forum on digitisation enjoined government to set up a special fund to assist weak broadcasting stations in order not to leave them behind,. According o him, it wasn't possible for every station to meet up with the digitisation standards. "The challenge is to ensure that we leave fewer people behind, an average Nigerians, wherever they are will be able to receive digital signals and get a setup box and to ensure that there is proper mechanism for content. So I believe it is not possible for all stations to meet-up in terms of technology and finance," he said. Also, television users and traders have continued to envisage numerous challenges about the switchover. Some were of the opinion that household television users would not have been prepared for the new system given the relatively low awareness about the process. Potential subscribers also envisaged the fear of network disorder, as being witnessed in the mobile telecommunication system, where many Nigerians, alternatively have to subscribe to more than two service providers to ensure access to network by all means. While allaying these fears, Chairman of Pinnacle Communications Mr. Lucky Omoluwa at a meeting with the company's technical partners assured Nigerians that it would deliver to Telecoms service without hindrance. Foreign interests He also explained that the company's foreign partners namely :Huawei Technologies of China, Gates Air (Formally Harris Corporation) of USA and Jampro Antennas INC of USA were part of the transition process in many other countries, even Africa, thereby expressed confidence in Pinnacle's capability to adequately deliver to Nigerians. According to Omoluwa, Pinnacle has lined up the best experts in the world, who are also familiar with the Nigerian system to deliver the best solution to Nigerians. "Since the pronouncement of the federal government on the issue, Pinnacle has swung into action along with its technical partners. We hold meetings in preparatory to the launch of the digital project, which have previously been held in the UK and Pinnacle decided that it was Nigeria's turn to host the meeting. We are committed to the success of the project, our aim is to meet the aspirations of the government and the yearnings of the people of Nigeria on the Digital Migration, we are leaving no stone unturned towards the success and as a demonstration of this, we have gathered the best in the world to deliver the best solution to Nigeria. We believe that not more than what is required; we are updating Nigerians as the project implementation progresses," he said. Preliminary specifications He said the company had gone beyond preliminary specifications, disclosing that the company has existing infrastructure all around the country. "We have deployment in phases, as part of our structure and we think we can conclude Phase 1 by December. We can give Nigeria an assumption that by the end of the year, we can give Nigeria first signal distribution transmission working perfectly," he said. Also speaking, the Executive Director of Pinnacle, Mr. Dipo Onifade noted that the company was fully prepared to kick-start the project in the fastest possible manner. He said Pinnacle had, for about 10 years, prepared for the transition, adding that personnel had been provided with sufficient training, both in Nigeria and abroad to face the task. Onifade explained that some of the company's indigenous experts have been involved in the Nigeria's telecommunication system from inception, and they are familiar with possible challenges in the system. According to him, the project planning strategy had been concluded and now awaits implementation. "Having had this long preparation and we are fully prepared to undertake this project in the fastest manner. In reality, it turned out that some of us have also been involved in the telecoms infrastructure in Nigeria from day one, so we are quite familiar with some of the challenges. As I said, we have gone beyond the project planning and part of the things we did was to take into accounts some of the challenges envisaged, because part of what we must cater for is availability of service, so we have taken into account, things like power supply, we have taken into account things security systems. There are some challenges that have to be dealt with by the collaboration of government and the regulator and we think we can achieve all of these. We are also in tandem with the regulator, NBC, and we have been assured of their collaboration to ensure successful implementation," Onifade said. 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