Ghana’s Telecommunication Industry to receive boost from digital TV migration

Telecommunication industry players are to receive major boost in providing better mobile data services to customers come 2015.

According to the National Communications Authority, the analogue television system has contributed to poor mobile broadband services to customers over the years.

A Management Engineer at the NCA, Raymond Yirenkyi Fianku however says the nationwide migration to digital terrestrial television will offer excess frequency distribution to expand the capacity of service providers.

He says the telecom industry will have no excuse than to provide better data services.

“Digital television will use the frequency more efficiently. Because we can pack more programmes on fewer frequencies we don’t need all the frequencies we have currently allocated for television in the analogue.

“When we finish the transition we can reduce the allocation to tv and use what we have saved which we call the digital dividend, we can use that for mobile broadband services.

“We will have available spectrum for those who will want to deploy broadband services to provide better data service,” he said.

Research by the World Bank indicates a country that increases broadband penetration by 10 per cent grows its economy by 1.2 per cent.

Mr. Fianku believes the migration will also strengthen the economy of Ghana.

The NCA has advised the public to look out for the NCA Digital Tv logo before buying a digital television set.

The logo has the Ghana colours and an eagle.