This is what you need to know about Nigeria’s Digital Switch-Over(DSO):
– The DSO television platform is branded as FreeTV
– Phase 1 of the DSO started with a pilot programme in Jos, Plateau State, on 30 April 2016. Thereafter, it proceeded to Federal Capital Territory on Dec. 22nd 2016; Kwara State on Dec. 20 2017; Kaduna State on Dec. 22nd 2017; Enugu State on February 12th 2018 and Osun State on February, 23rd 2018.
– Phase 2 of the DSO rollout will cover additional 13 states across the country this year; Lagos state on April 29th; Kano State on June 3rd; Rivers on July 8th; Yobe on July 15th; Gombe on August 12th; Imo on August 24th; Akwa Ibom on August 31st; Oyo on September 9th; Jigawa on September 23rd; Ebonyi on October 17th; Katsina on October 21st; Anambra on November 4th and Delta on November 18th.
– Modern broadcasting is a veritable tool for national development and the democratization of digital television in Nigeria fits into President Muhammadu Buhari’s vision of a digital economy cum national technological development driven by Nigeria’s very vibrant and creative young people
– Revolutionizing television viewing for the more than 5 million TV households in Lagos state, the Lagos DSO project would be beaming 60 choice channels to these households, including sports, music, movies, and news. By association, it will create jobs for our teeming youth, stimulate local content and empower channel owners.
– Free TV will provide other value added services such as Enforcement & Collection of TV Licenses; Premium PayTV channels; Push Video on Demand; Information Services; Audience Measurement, etc
– There is no monthly subscription payment for Free TV. Nigerians will only have to pay a once-a-year access fee, which is a token, to enjoy free viewing. Nigerians will enjoy the benefit of digital television without having to break the bank to pay the rising subscription fees being charged by the Pay TV platforms
– The DSO project is expected to create the 1 million jobs in the next three years and a large number will come from Lagos.
– Lagos DSO was launched with over 1 million Set-Top-Boxes. The Set-Top-Boxes are locally manufactured, more boxes are getting set to be released by the factories located across the country.
– It’s projected that by December 7th, 2022, Nigeria will complete the switch-off of analogue broadcasting on the terrestrial television platform.
– 70 percent of content on the digital 24-hour television would be local. These will contain an assembly of TV shows, sitcoms, documentaries, music videos, drama series, talent and reality shows, sports. The government will ensure that this becomes a profitable industry for our creative talent, entrepreneurs, advertising agencies, TV channels and digital distributors as this will also help to bolster our economy.
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