Digital Switch Over to cost over N60bn –NBC

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has said Nigeria will need over 40million setup boxes for the digital switch over even as it said the switch over will cost the government and private sector over N60 billion. Disclosing this at a press conference to mark the commission’s 22nd anniversary in Abuja at the weekend, the NBC’s […]

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has said Nigeria will need over 40million setup boxes for the digital switch over even as it said the switch over will cost the government and private sector over N60 billion.
Disclosing this at a press conference to mark the commission’s 22nd anniversary in Abuja at the weekend, the NBC’s Director General Mr Emeka Mba said the 23m TV households across the country would require the 40m setup boxes which would enable them to switch from the analogue to digital broadcasting in June next year.
Mr Mba said 12 companies had been cleared by the government to manufacture setup boxes in the country “and these companies would further provide employments for many Nigerians”.
Poor Nigerians will get subsidies on the prices of set-up boxes by the federal government, according him.
He said 90 per cent of existing TV households across the country would achieve full switch over to digital broadcasting before the June deadline set by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).
NBC, he said, had achieved a tremendous progress in its over two decades of existence as 334 broadcast licenses had so far been issued in the last 22 years.   
He added that eight more community radio stations would soon be licensed to start broadcasting.
He dispelled the fears that TV viewing would attract fees after the switch over. “TV viewing will still be free after the switch over because there will free-to-air channels which will give Nigerians what they want without them paying for it”, he said.