BTV digital migration, what are the opportunities for Batswana

Monitor Editor | Monday July 27, 2015 15:14

This is welcome indeed. We hope the digital migration process will not go the way of the Palapye Glass project, the Morupule B, the Francistown Stadium, National stadium, and the Gaborone international Airport, all of which incurred huge cost over-runs resulting from poor workmanship.

While we join in congratulating the Btv for successful digital migration, questions on the same are lingering.There still remains more questions than answers regarding the digital migration by Btv and what’s in store for Batswana, and potential investors in this technology.First off, the prices of the set-boxes(decoders) have not been announced nor have the public been informed as to where to find them. Issues such as what constitute digital TV set and what does not, also remain unanswered as thousands of TV sets owners remain in confusion as to whether they will have to throw away their hard earned TV sets or not.Btv has the duty to inform the public whether its digital migration also means the public will have to buy certain TV sets, as well as their costs.

We also need to know the implications of the technology on the Dstv technology in Botswana since both Btv and Dstv have chosen to go for rival platforms.

Can Batswana still watch Btv on the Dstv platform after the shutdown, and more importantly, would Dstv still be able to be accessed by Batswana despite both channels using completely different digital migration technologies? In an era where job creation is more urgent than ever, Batswana are still to be informed of business opportunities that come with digital migration. Can they be innovative and launch channels riding on the newly created space on the Btv platform, for instance, at minimal costs, for instance? What other commercial opportunities can be exploited by investors, start-ups, as a result of this digital migration?

It is very urgent that Btv embarks on a serious digital migration public awareness that attempts to clarify pertinent issues.