Old TV sets soon to be phased out

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Secretary general of UN's International Telecommunications Union, Hamadoun Touré, said on Friday, 14 March that ICT manufacturers including those in TV making were expected to comply with global uniform standards in phase of digital broadcasting.

He said ITU has always set standards that supports interoperability of ICT devices across the 193 UN member nations by bringing together policy makers, industry operators and manufacturers.

"Without ITU, there would be no uniform standards for TV, radio and mobile phones," he said in Nairobi when he wound up his week-long visit to Kenya. "Sometimes, some manufacturers resist but once one of them starts, others follow."

He remained optimistic that all countries would be on digital television broadcasting signal by June next year, ruling out the cost of digital decoders as an impediment.

Survey results

A survey by Ipsos Synovate released on Tuesday found that only 32% of viewers had migrated in Nairobi and 29% countrywide. 74% of those without a digital set top box cited cost as a key hurdle although the study did not ask their preferred price.

Touré said the cost of a set top box was less than the cost of a smartphone. "The cost of a set top box is cheaper than that of a phone," he said. "How can a family whose members have a smartphone each fail to afford a set top box that is shared by all of them?"

The mandatory transition to digital television broadcasting signal in Nairobi earlier set for 26 December has been postponed pending a determination of a case before court of appeal by three local broadcasters challenging its timing.

The determination of the case was postponed for the second time to 28 March. Touré said President Uhuru had assured him of timely migration.