SA will adopt the digital television standard DVB-T2 and the country will complete the process of migrating from analogue to digital television by December 2012, Communications Minister Radhakrishna “Roy” Padayachie said in Midrand on Friday

The decision ends weeks of speculation which digital standard the country would adopt for broadcasting.

Under consideration were ISDB (Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting) and ISDB-T, supported by Brazil and Japan, and the two DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting) terrestrial standards, DVB-T and its successor DVB-T2.

Initially the government had accepted DVB, but now the country would adopt DVB-T2. Padayachie said the government had looked at representations from the Brazilian government.

Twelve of the 14 SADC countries had accepted DVB, the main digital standard in Africa, Europe and the Middle East.

At a 2006 conference in Geneva, where the ITU (International Telecommunication Union) Region 1 Geneva ITU GE06 Agreement was signed, a 2015 deadline for the migration from analogue to digital television was set.

Padayachie said the decision had been taken by the government and not by his department alone. He hoped the decision would lead to more opportunities in manufacturing in the industry.

“We think this is an important arena that will make an important  contribution in that arena.”   

There was no indication how much the roll out of the DVB-T2 standard would cost.

“There will be a cost, but the benefits will outweigh the cost,”  said Padayachie, who would not commit to saying how much new set top boxes would cost.