StarTimes subscribers in Africa top 2.5 million

Private media group StarTimes saw its subscribers of digital TV programs broadcast in Africa hit 2.5 million early June.

Democratic Republic of the Congo announced to become the 10th member of the user lineup of the StarTimes at the third African Digital TV Development Seminar on June 3.

Pang Xinxing, chairman of StarTimes

International Telecommunication Union indicated that African countries are advised to migrant from analogue TV system to a complete digitalization by June 2015 and began to close the analogue signal since 2012.

Fenella Ephraim Mukangara, minister of the information, culture and sports of Tanzania, said the country, now is teaming up with the StarTimes in a bid to accomplish the target made by ITU and the initial projects have saw 23 percent of its population enjoy digitalized TV programs.

The minister noted the digitalized TV with its widest reach of audience is expected to boost African culture and history communications and influence.

She said the country now has plotted new tax reduction mechanism to benefit local residents and formulate new policies to protect the interest of investors.

Lambert Mende Omalanga, minister of communications of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, noted that the country is now formulating law and policies and researching technology standards to make a stride in the digital TV migrations.

Pang Xinxing, chairman of the Beijing-based company, noted that a complete technology, financing projects are critically needed in African countries to help with the popularization of the satellite projects.

“The biggest challenge is the digitalization of the terminal, which now all the terminals in the continent belong to analogue system. Only by truly and completely switching off all the analogue system and upgrading facilities, digitalization could be The firm also indicated other barriers in the digitalization of another three parts of the project – signal source, transmission and broadcasting.

He noted his firm’s programs are “independent” and injected hefty capital to provide richer contents the sports programs including FA Premier League, Italian Serie and German Bundesliga.

Contact the writers at wangsujuan@chinadaily.com.cn and yangcheng@chinadaily.com.cn