AFTER years of consultation and preparation, Guyana is on the verge of transition from analogue to digital terrestrial broadcasting.
Friday, Public Telecommunications Minister, Catherine Hughes, and Director of the National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU), Valmikki Singh, discussed the roadmap for the transition from analogue to digital terrestrial broadcasting with television broadcasters.
The roadmap was developed since September 2013 by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) expert, Andres Navarro, with assistance from the National Roadmap Team (NRT).

According to the draft roadmap, the digital switchover is expected to take place in phases with initial focus on the less populated areas to the heavily populated areas.
Minister Hughes, in her opening remarks, pointed out that Guyana has set 2020 for the end of analogue transmission. The country, according to her, may or may not meet the

deadline but it is important for television broadcasters to initiate the process. Minister Hughes said Guyana must bring itself on par with developing and developed nations. “In some respects in Guyana, we have been a little slow to embrace a lot of the changes in technology. Having said that, the reality is, we either prepare and change, if not we will be left behind,” she told the terrestrial television broadcasters.
It was said that if Guyana fails to make the switch after 2020, it runs the risk of not being able to access analog sets due to the evolving nature of the technological world.
It is believed that these sets would no longer be manufactured, and therefore, would not be available, or would be very expensive to purchase.

“We all know that our systems are still on analog systems, and many parts of the world have already transitioned to digital terrestrial television. The reality is whether we like it or not, unless we are going to start manufacturing our own analogue equipment, we are not even going to be able to provide and to purchase the equipment that our businesses, and our television stations and radio stations are built on,” Minister Hughes explained.
For her, there is no question about the direction Guyana must go. However, she posited that the issue lies with how it will be executed and the roadmap helps in this regard.
It was pointed out that countries as close as Suriname are making headway while French Guiana has completely transitioned to digital terrestrial broadcasting. The same is true for the U.S and many other developing and developed nations.
The NFMU director told the terrestrial broadcasters that while Guyana has completed the first two phases of the roadmap – preparation and development – which were based on three rounds of consultation, the last phase has to be initiated.
Singh said it is time for the country to implement the plans highlighted on the map but underscored the importance for all broadcasters to be on the “same page”. He emphasised that having a full and clear understanding of the plan is important.

After a number of concerns were raised with respect to several elements of the roadmap, Minister Hughes made it clear that it is not written in stone, and as such, meetings create opportunities for further consultation before it is concretised.
In addition to the roadmap, the social responsibility of broadcasters, the creation of new and improved business models, the importance of migration and content creation within the digital paradigm were among areas covered.
Brazil will switch off analog transmissions in 2018, Venezuela in 2020; and from available though not precise information, Suriname in 2020. Paraguay had indicated it will close down analog signals in 2022.