Digital Switchover Signals Growth for Kenya, Says GSMA

LONDON. - Tuesday, December 2nd 2014 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE) Tom Phillips, Chief Regulatory Officer, GSMA, offered the following statement regarding confirmation of the schedule for migrating from analogue to digital terrestrial television in Kenya:

“The GSMA congratulates the Government of Kenya and the Communications Authority of Kenya on finalising the schedule for the country’s much-anticipated digital switchover1. With all three phases to be completed by 30 March 2015, Kenya’s announcement demonstrates a clear and welcome commitment to meeting the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) global digital migration deadline of 17 June 2015.

“The switchover from analogue to digital television allows more efficient use of a limited resource and frees up precious 700MHz and 800MHz spectrum bands, otherwise known as the Digital Dividend. This lower frequency spectrum delivers excellent geographic coverage and will be a key enabler for the provision of universal mobile broadband access.

“Unique mobile subscriber penetration2 in Kenya is currently 40 per cent, which means that more than half of the country is still unconnected. The availability of Digital Dividend spectrum for mobile will make life-changing mobile services available to all Kenyans, including the three-quarters of the population who live in rural areas3, as well as provide substantial economic benefits and new opportunities for digital entrepreneurship.

“Kenya and Tanzania, which has almost completed its digital switchover, are leading the way in East Africa in bringing the benefits of the digital transition to their citizens. We hope that other countries in the region will be inspired to follow the Government of Kenya’s example and determine their own digital migration plans in time for next year’s deadline.”

Notes to Editors

1 Announcement by Communications Authority of Kenya: http://ca.go.ke/index.php/what-we-do/94-news/278-digital-migration-is-on

2 A unique mobile subscriber is an individual who has subscribed to mobile services versus a mobile connection (i.e. a SIM card) per mobile device

3 Source: The Mobile Economy: Sub Saharan Africa 2014: http://www.gsmamobileeconomyafrica.com/

About the GSMA

The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting nearly 800 operators with more than 250 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as Mobile World Congress, Mobile World Congress Shanghai and the Mobile 360 Series conferences.

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com. Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA.

Contacts

For the GSMA

Charlie Meredith-Hardy (London)

+44 7917 298 428

cmeredith-hardy@webershandwick.com



GSMA Press Office

pressoffice@gsma.com







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