The Federal Government has announced the release of the Digital Switch Over timetable, stating that Phase 2 of the DSO will commence with roll-outs in the most populous and commercially viable locations of Lagos, Kano and Rivers states, as well as Yobe and Gombe states.
This was disclosed by Prof. Armstrong Idachaba, acting DG of the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation on Thursday.
Idachaba disclosed the following:
- The new timetable will therefore be kick-started with roll-outs in Lagos State on 29th of April, 2021, Kano state on 3rd June, 2021 and Rivers state on 8th July, 2021; other states involved are Yobe state on 15th July, 2021, and Gombe state on 12th August, 2021.
- Signal distributors are expected to within the same period complete the installation of additional transmitters and gap fillers to attain 70% to 80% coverage in the existing six locations in Phase 1. That is in FCT, Plateau, Kaduna, Kwara, Enugu and Osun states.
- Phase 3 switch on commences in December 2021 and ends with final Analogue Switch off (ASO) on 8th December 2022.
- By the end of the 1st quarter of 2022, additional 10 states would have been switched on under phase 2 namely; Lagos, Kano, Rivers, Yobe, Gombe, Imo, Akwa Ibom, Oyo, Jigawa and Ebonyi states
The Acting DG urged Governors to comply with the new DSO as state broadcasting services are expected to be fully revamped and digitized to participate in the process. He added that authorized set-top box manufacturers would also commence the distribution of set-top boxes to local dealerships and establish service centres nationwide.
Recall OBSERVERS TIMES recall that the Federal Government had launched a 14-member Ministerial Task Force on the Digital Switch Over (DSO) rollout across the country.
Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed also stated that the Ministerial Task Force on the Digital Switch Over (DSO) must look to include improved Nigerian content in the new Digital Switch Over for Nigerian television viewers, saying the success of the project depended on the content it offered.