Guyana to move completely to digital by 2015

Georgetown : Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Dr. Roger Luncheon said that Guyana along with countries in Europe, Middle-East and Africa have until June 17, 2015 to complete the transition from analog to digital.

When television broadcasters switch from analog platforms to digital only platforms, part of thelectromagnetic spectrum that has been used for broadcasting will be freed up because digital television needs less spectrum than analog television.

This worldwide transition releases valuable spectrum which can be used to provide mobile broadband services among others. The release spectrum is referred to as the digital dividend.

The location and size of digital dividend vary among countries due to the factors including geographical position and penetration of satellite/cable services.

 “As we speak many CARICOM countries are engaged in the process of choosing an appropriate standard and deliberating on the attendant models/options for such a transition… our broadcasters would obviously have to embrace as they have done with analog standards, unified, single digital broadcast standards,” Dr. Luncheon said.

With the analog to digital television broadcast transition, there are many issues that Guyana will have to address. These include the technical, regulatory, economic and business related issues.

In that regard, public consultations will soon commence with special target groups.