THE government of Japan says it is ready to consider possible assistance for the Zambian government in the migration of digital Television (TV) broadcasting from analog.
Currently various evaluation and discussions are being made on the European system (DVB-T, DVB-T2) and the Japanese-Brazilian system (ISDB-T) as a possible future digital TV broadcasting system.
Japanese Ambassador to Zambia Akio Egawa is hopeful that the Japanese-Brazilian system if adopted in Zambia will accrue massive benefits for the country.
“I hope that this system will be adopted in Zambia and look forward to a day when people will drive out on picnic to any place and enjoy watching TV everywhere from their cars to houses at night with families and friends,” he said.
Mr Egawa said this in a letter made available to the Daily Mail in Lusaka yesterday.
He said in Zambia, almost all the car navigation TVs are compatible with the Japanese-Brazilian system.
Among the many advantages ISDB-T has against DVB-T and DVB-T2, is the capacity for one transmitter to send signals to both fixed TV sets and mobile TV (cellphone, portable TV or car navigation).
Mr Egawa said the ISDB-T has wider coverage than DVB-T under the same conditions.
He said the two advantages meant that the number of transmitters necessary for introducing ISDB-T is less than 50 percent compared to that required for DVB-T/DVB-T2, thereby significantly reducing the cost of investment and making migration to the new broadcasting system achieved at minimal cost.
ISDB-T digital broadcasting started in Japan in 2003 and since then, people receive high quality images on their TV sets wherever they may be including mobile phones.
“In this regard, the stability of the system for the Southern African Development Community region is guaranteed by its record in Japan. Outside Japan, the ISDB-T system has been introduced specially in the Latin American countries, which succeeded in switching region,” he said.
Mr Egawa said in the southern African region preparations are underway to migrate to the ISDB-T system in at least one country.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
Comments Disabled To "Japan to assist Zambia in digital migration"
#1 Comment By gregy On December 17, 2011 @ 8:37 am
good move hope my govment will take it twacula na poor signal yaba znbc pafula
#2 Comment By Luangwa Bridge On December 17, 2011 @ 8:45 am
What the Japs are not saying is that the SADC region decided on the European DVBT model and only Angola who they bribed with a new broadcasting building, opted out. I hope the Japs will also build a new station for ZNBC, if their system is adopted, then border towns like L/stone, C/bombwe, Cipata, Chirundu, Siavonga, Ndola wil have no TV….because by international law, they are supposed not to broadcast in a model not regionally agreed to. Secondly, RSA tested both system and settled on the Europen model as a better system. So, Zambia, be careful before you decide which mopdel you finally pick.
#3 Comment By Keen On December 17, 2011 @ 9:17 am
Thanks, Japan. But no thanks.
We will decide ourselves what standard we will adopt. This sort of aid with strings attached is distatesful.
I hope have engineers at Ministry of Communication and ZICTA can brush this aside and determine what is best for Zambia considering, among other things,economics of scale and suitability to our environment. We dont want unpractical, solar-guyser-without-running-water-type solutions.
#4 Comment By HellBoy On December 17, 2011 @ 9:34 am
Lets allow Japan technology in Zambia. We are far behind using systems for 2 decades ago. Thanks Japan, you are welcome.
#5 Comment By ICT- Specialist On December 17, 2011 @ 10:41 am
who is interested in (ISDB-T),around the globe they teaching (DVB-T, DVB-T2), the jananees take their system somewhere e.g south america, we dont need in in africa.
#6 Comment By Mazedvidele On December 17, 2011 @ 10:48 am
This is a Long term Loan bastards there is no free lunch
#7 Comment By Jay Jay On December 17, 2011 @ 3:31 pm
Digital is the way forward…take it with open arms!!
#8 Comment By witness On December 17, 2011 @ 4:09 pm
this has to be a regional decision. zambia has to integrate its systems with southern African region or will find ourselves in a corner. japan knows the meaning of divide a rule.
#9 Comment By witness On December 17, 2011 @ 4:09 pm
this has to be a regional decision. zambia has to integrate its systems with southern African region or will find ourselves in a corner. japan knows the meaning of divide a rule.
#10 Comment By Mazedvidele On December 18, 2011 @ 3:43 am
Third world reporting by the third world news media like LT has help the exploitation of the natives
#11 Comment By Mtopolelandela On December 18, 2011 @ 9:54 am
hey people look at our streets all over Zambia 95% of the vehicles are from Japan. Even in our living rooms almost 80% of domestic electronic gadgets are of Japanese origin. Why should we doubt Japanese technology now?