As Nigeria gradually inch towards the much hyped set deadline for digital
switch over from analogue to the digital mode of signal distribution or
Digital Terrestrial Transmission (DTT), a Broadcast Engineer, Media
Entrepreneur and Founder of NN24. Tony Dara has warned against use of
outdated infrastructure and technology.
Tony Dara, who also serve as consultant to the House Ad-Hoc committee of
the National Assembly on Nigeria’s digital switch over process, emphasized
that the quality of equipment provided by signal distributors are critical
to the success of the digital switch over process.
The broadcast expert who hinges his observation on the use of obsolete
equipment came on the heels of his recent fact finding missions to
Integrated Television Services (ITS) Digital switch over sites in Ilorin,
Kwara State and Jos, Plateau State.
Integrated Television Services Limited is a public company under whose
purview the technical implementation of the digital switch over is placed.
Dara, had during his technical mission to Ilorin tried to ascertain the
level of standards of ITS to switch on to digital signal distribution via
digital terrestrial transmission.
While in Jos, he also attempted to obtain necessary information and data
in order to assess the level of performance and quality of service of the
digital switch on in Plateau State, where Jos was christened as the pilot
digital switch on project.
In his technical assessment and report, Tony Dara had expressed fears and
outright consternation on the whole digital switch on process based on his
visits to the two states of Kwara and Plateau states. According to Dara “I
am dismayed that for a pilot project of this nature, ITS installed
obsolete transmitters that have been disconnected by the original
equipment manufacturer”.
He was also emphatic and worried over the operational environment of both
digital terrestrial transmission stations in Jos and Ilorin built by ITS.
Those DTT stations, according to Dara, “are below par they are installed
in old buildings that are clearly neither fit for purpose nor appropriate
for digital broadcasting workflow”.
Further giving insight into the Jos digital switch on pilot project, Dara
berated the information from the industry regulator that ITS was to cover
the whole of Plateau State from three sites remain an illusion till date
as only Jos city location is functional which only covers parts of Jos
city presently.
The broadcast expert, Tony Dara further warned the industry operators
about the imminent dangers of ITS installing technology and
infrastructures that are obsolete as this would greatly hamper the Digital
Switch On process, because these obsolete technology and infrastructure
“will not be able to stand the test of time and will not achieve the
minimum quality standards required for digital signal distribution”
He therefore urged the industry regulator to pay optimum attention to some
of the observed short comings of the Integrated Television Services
Limited, which he had passed on for necessary action and intervention.
Among the shortcomings as observed by Dara are that “the NBC put up 30
National free to air content to be distributed by signal distributor in
each location.
Till date ITS has only carried a minimum of 20 plus in Jos, the only site
where it transmits, Upgrading DVB-T transmitters or converting to DVB-T2
transmitters has limitations will never be able to function with the full
component and complements of a custom built DVB-T2 transmitter, thirdly is
redundancy is critical in technology and broadcast transmission is not
excluded, ITS DDT stations in Jos and Ilorin do not have sufficient
redundancy and therefore prepared for failure, it does not demonstrate the
ability to understand that lessons from new technologies enable ever
improving engineering designs quality. Having been created from NTA, ITS
is expected to have a solid foundation in broadcast engineering and
practice.
ITS is a technical company and must conform with standards in engineering
and technology, create environment that is supportive of productivity;
environment that supports health and safety, and very importantly, since
it is owned and funded by all Nigerians should be a leading example in
this new era that we have embraced for broadcasting, With the increase in
the number of channels licensed by NBC, space required for headend and
transmitter equipment increases.
Starting in old buildings with limited spaces, limits growth of the
headend and lastly the antenna mast and towers are old and legacy
infrastructure of the NTA transmission system, it is not clear however, if
then longevity can be guaranteed considering the fact that maintenance and
service records are not available; and that the digital antennas have
heavier pay load and mass”
According to Dara, “I hope this intervention will help all concerned to
see the clear and present danger of not getting this right from the
outset.”, saying, “the digital era in broadcasting has given Nigeria a
massive chance to leap into the league of global media players as well as
change the narrative and image that Nigerians are underachievers”.