On October 2, a ceremony was held in the city of Haborone, Republic of Botswana, to mark the switch to digital terrestrial broadcasting. The ceremony was held to mark the switchover to terrestrial digital broadcasting in Botswana, which has been made possible through the long-standing cooperation of the Japanese government, including JICA.
There are four major terrestrial digital broadcasting systems in the world, and the Japanese system (ISDB-T) is one of them. Features of the Japanese system include EWBS (Emergency Warning Broadcasting System) and one-segment broadcasting in the event of a disaster. The Japanese government is promoting the overseas deployment of the Japanese system, and currently 20 countries, including Japan, are in the process of transitioning to the Japanese system. In Botswana, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and JICA have been cooperating in the dissemination and promotion of terrestrial digital broadcasting.
Although digital broadcasting is in place in many countries, the analog blackout is predicated on the nationwide dissemination of terrestrial digital broadcasting. With the termination of analog broadcasting, Botswana will become the first country to achieve full transition to terrestrial digital broadcasting after the introduction of the Japanese system.
Radio frequencies are a limited resource, and with the cessation of analog broadcasting, the frequency bands used for analog broadcasting can be utilized for other purposes, such as cell phone services. Just as Japan expanded its use of frequency bandwidth with the spread of smart phones, Botswana will be able to more easily enter the market with new services using the vacant frequencies, which is expected to contribute to the promotion of the country’s industry.
JICA dispatched an “Advisor for Analog Interruption of Japanese System for Digital Terrestrial Broadcasting” expert to Botswana for one year from March 2017 to compile a national analog interruption plan. The “National Digital Terrestrial Broadcasting Strategy (Analog Interruption Strategy)” experts then visited each of the country’s radio towers for four years from October 2018 to confirm that digital terrestrial broadcasting equipment had been installed properly and that digital signals were reaching the country as planned, as well as to conduct public awareness activities for the nationwide analog interruption. We have been supporting the complete transition to terrestrial digital broadcasting.
The October 2 ceremony was attended by officials from the Broadcasting Services Department of the Office of the President and others, as well as the Japanese Ambassador to Botswana Takashi Hoshiyama, JICA Botswana Office Director Hideo Eguchi, and others. Ambassador Hoshiyama delivered a speech, congratulating Botswana for being the first country in Africa to introduce Japanese terrestrial digital broadcasting in 2013, and for completing the transition to analog and terrestrial digital broadcasting.
From Botswana’s side, following welcoming remarks by Undersecretary Feutseman Moleksi of the Ministry of the National President, Minister Gabo Molaesi gave a keynote speech in which he attributed the successful completion of the terrestrial digital migration process to the partnership with the Japanese government through JICA.
The ceremony was held in conjunction with Botswana’s Independence Day on September 30, and was attended by the Undersecretaries of the Ministry of Education and Skills Development, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Youth, Gender, Sports, and Culture, who will be the resource providers for future content development and data broadcasting. The mood was festive with a traditional dance performance by a Botswana dance team. The ceremony was broadcast live on Botswana’s national television.
© Source JICA
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