Practical Guide for diGital Switchover (dSo) in cameroon - ITU
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Practical Guide
for Digital
Switchover (DSO)
in Cameroon
Lishan Adam, Mike Jensen, Steve Song, Russell Southwood
association for Progressive Communications (apc) and Balancing Act
March 2013
ASSOCIATION
FOR PROGRESSIVE
COMMUNICATIONS
The World BankTable of contents
Project Coordinator
Claire Sibthorpe
Editors
Kris Kotarski.
Karine Ducloyer Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 module 3
Technical Issues and Cameroon’s DSO
Publication production
Spectral Efficiency and .
Mallory Knodel module 1 Interference Mitigation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
The Context for the DSO in Cameroon Global Trends in Wireless .
Proofreading
Valerie Dee
Why Digital Migration is Important . . . . . . . 7 Technology Evolution Affecting .
What is the Starting Point? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Spectrum Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
French translation
Who is Affected by the Digital Switchover?. . . 11 Technological Implications .
Danielle Elder
The DSO Context in Cameroon . . . . . . . . . . 12 of the Transition to Digital Terrestrial .
Graphic design
Positives and Negatives of the Digital . Television Broadcast (DTTB) . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
MONOCROMO. Spectrum Requirements for the DSO . . . . . 40
info@monocromo.com.uy. Switchover in Broadcasting. . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Phone: +598 2 400 1685
Managing the Dividend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
module 2
module 4
Printed in South Africa Policy and Regulatory Framework
for Cameroon’s DSO Business Planning for Cameroon’s DSO
The DTV Value Chain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Introduction to the Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
The Public—TV Audiences and .
The Policy Rationale for Digital .
Broadband Users, Television .
Switchover in Cameroon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
and Internet Access Equipment. . . . . . . . . . 43
© 2013, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank. Institutional Framework .
Radio Spectrum Aspects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
This report is being published with funding from The Public-Private Infrastructure . for the Implementation of the DSO. . . . . . . 21
Advisory Facility. The Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility (PPIAF) is a multi-donor . The TV Signal Transmission System. . . . . . 49
technical assistance facility aimed at helping developing countries improve the quality .
Public and Private Partnership .
of their infrastructure through private sector involvement. PPIAF is a global facility among . on Signal Distribution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Broadcast Television Content .
international development agencies, coordinated and served by an expert Secretariat housed . (Channels and Programming) . . . . . . . . . . . 52
in the Sustainable Development Network Vice Presidency of the World Bank, one of its key donors . Institutional Arrangements . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Implementation Planning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
and founders. Financial Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Financing the DSO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
The findings, interpretations and conclusions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the view . Content and Cultural Diversity. . . . . . . . . . . 24
of PPIAF, its donors, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank . Recommendations for Business .
Consumer Policy Issues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
and its affiliated organisations, the Board of Executive Directors of the World Bank or the governments . Planning Activities and Related .
they represent. The World Bank cannot guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. . Environmental, Health and Safety Factors. 26 Projects to Support the DSO . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
The boundaries, colours, denominations and other information shown on any map in this work .
do not imply any judgment on the part of the World Bank of the legal status of any territory . Human Resources Development .
or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. Nothing herein shall constitute or be considered . and Capacity Building. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
to be a limitation upon or waiver of the privileges and immunities of The World Bank, all of which.
are specifically reserved.
Regional Coordination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 module 5
Regulating the DSO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Cameroon’s DSO Calendar
DSO Regulatory Issues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Digital Switchover Timeline. . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Digital Switchover Task List0. . . . . . . . . . . . 59
The World Bank
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Licence.
. annex 1
Some rights reserved.
Digital Dividend Spectrum Valuation
for Business Module. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
ISBN: 978-92-95096-90-5
APC-201304-CIPP-R-EN-DIGITAL-181.
Acknowledgements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77Figures:
figure 1:
Tables:
Table 1:
Introduction
A Simplified Representation Arguments for Different Digital
of Spectrum Occupancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Broadcast Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Figure 2: Table 2
The Radio Spectrum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 The Cost of Part-Subsidy
Figure 3: in Selected Countries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
The Propagation Characteristics Table 3
of Spectrum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Survey of Existing Digital The digital switchover (DSO) is the commonly ac- • To identify specific policy choices for government
Figure 4 Dividend Spectrum Auctions cepted name given to the process of changing the and regulatory bodies, particularly in relation to
Lower Frequencies Reduce the Costs and Reserve Pricing to Date. . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 underlying radio broadcast technology from the the structure of the digital broadcasting sector,
of Infrastructure and Communications. . . . 37 Table 4 outdated analogue system to a system based on and the allocation of frequencies.
Figure 5 Cost Benefit Analysis equipment capable of transmitting and receiving dig-
Choice of Transmission Standard Framework for DSO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 ital signals. This guide was produced to help with the • To identify practical activities that may help to
in Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Table 5 process of implementation and is aimed at those in- unlock some of the challenges that lie ahead.
DTV Value Chain Costs and volved in the process. Of course, the DSO is a process In this respect, the guide sets out to identify the
Figures 6, 7 & 8
Revenue Sources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 that affects citizens as part of the broadcasting audi- details of what needs to be done and in what
The Estimated Effects
ence and potential users of mobile broadband, but order, so the transition goes as smoothly as
of Digital Switchover in Asia . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
this guide is aimed at groups and individuals imple- possible.
Figure 9
Possible Ownership and menting the DSO, including policy makers, regulators,
Administrative Structure for the DSO. . . . . 51 telecommunications operators and service providers, This guide has five modules:
and broadcasters and media professionals.
• Module 1 provides background, and discuss-
This guide has four broad aims:
es the costs and benefits of the DSO and the
• To identify the public benefits of the DSO proc- progress already made in Cameroon and around
ess. As digital transition is an expensive process the world
which is difficult to change course once in motion,
• Module 2 provides an extensive look at the pol-
it is important to identify the public benefits, not
just for broadcast audiences (such as improved icy and regulatory issues related to Cameroon’s
picture quality, widespread access and more DSO
channels), but also for internet access (for ex- • Module 3 discusses spectrum management and
ample, in terms of much improved access to high related technical issues for Cameroon’s DSO
speed broadband).
• Module 4 examines the business planning as-
• To offer distilled wisdom from countries in Africa pects of Cameroon’s DSO
and elsewhere that have travelled some or all of
this road, particularly on contentious topics where • Module 5 provides an implementation roadmap
there are no universally agreed-on strategies. for Cameroon’s DSO.
Introduction / 5module 1
The Context for the DSO in Cameroon
T
his section provides background, and dis- conversations.4 However, the presently available
cusses the costs and benefits of the DSO and radio spectrum is not sufficient to cater to growing
the progress already made in Cameroon and demand. Higher broadband speeds are needed to
around the world. support video, which will likely be one of the pillars
Globally, the digital switchover has been a of the next phase of internet growth in Cameroon
lengthy process which began in the late 1990s and and can be used to improve general communica-
a significant number of developed countries have tions and education. High-speed broadband means
completed it or are close to completing it.1 Most nurses can communicate with doctors about issues
African countries, including Cameroon, agreed in they face in the field using better communication
2006 through the International Telecommunication technologies. Citizens and government can enter
Union to complete the digital switchover in broad- into dialogue much more easily, and export busi-
casting by 2015.2 nesses can communicate with global markets,
Delays in carrying out the DSO would mean becoming more competitive.
that Cameroon will not be able to benefit as quickly The frequencies that are presently allocated to
from technological developments in the broadcast analogue broadcasting are most cost effective for
and telecoms fields, such as additional television reaching rural areas with broadband. A national
channels, higher quality television broadcast im- broadband strategy that takes into account digital
ages, and ubiquitous broadband internet access. migration opportunities will be better able to en-
Analogue broadcasting equipment is now rapidly sure that the public and all parts of government
being phased out across the world and much of including remote municipalities, schools and re-
it is no longer being manufactured. As a result, a search centres, have access to the internet.
slow switchover in Cameroon could also lead to the It will be important for Cameroon to work with
country becoming a dumping ground for obsolete neighbouring countries to ensure that issues such
analogue equipment no longer used elsewhere in as spectrum allocation and switch-off dates do not
the world. create cross-border interference. Issues like set-top
box specification and electronic waste strategies
Why Digital Migration is Important can be tackled on a regional basis and costs can be
To ensure a smooth and rapid transition it is im- lowered for all countries taking part.
portant that all stakeholders, especially the public, More generally, the digital transition in broad-
clearly understand the benefits of a switchover casting will be a key part of Cameroon’s shift toward
in Cameroon. Aside from the advantage of bet- better integration with the global information so-
ter quality broadcast images and a wider range ciety, and the challenge for those involved in the
of programming, the digital migration can free up process is how to find ways of getting the most out
wavebands for broadband internet use. Cameroon of the transition by lowering costs and obtaining
already has many mobile internet users, and this maximum benefits for all of Cameroon’s citizens.
number is increasing rapidly.3 Social media use One of these key benefits will be the creation of a
which was almost non-existent three years ago now unified communications infrastructure that reaches
involves significant numbers of people in national as many people as possible.
1 For a map showing worldwide progress, see: GSMA GSMA Digital
Dividend Toolkit Accessed March 1 2012 http://www.gsma.com/
spectrum/wp-content/uploads/DigitalDividend/DDtoolkit/
regional-status-map.html
4 The social media consultancy Social Bakers estimates that
2 International Telecommunication Union “Digital broadcasting set Cameroon has 565,340 Facebook users on 1 March 2013,
to transform communication landscape by 2015” 16 June 2006 representing 2.93% of the population. See: Social Bakers
http://www.itu.int/newsroom/press_releases/2006/11.html “Cameroon Facebook Statistics” Accessed 1 March 2013 http://
3 Interviews with mobile operators, October 2012 www.socialbakers.com/facebook-statistics/cameroon
Module 1 / 7Figure 1 Who decided the digital broadcasting look at its own circumstances to see how it will best
switchover should take place in Africa? achieve these contractual commitments.
A Simplified Representation of Spectrum Occupancy
In order to ensure that both TV broadcasters and What is the difference between analogue
broadband operators obtain the spectrum they need,
and digital broadcasting?
173 MHZ
230 MHZ
470 MHZ
862 MHZ
1 GHZ
30 MHZ
the ITU orchestrated the process through which
these overall changes were negotiated and agreed. An analogue broadcast signal represents the
VHF UHF The World Radiocommunication Conference 2007 transmitted sound and picture directly through
(WRC7) agreed on an allocation to Mobile Service and variations in signal voltage and radio frequencies.
identified 790–862MHz for International Mobile Tel- Analogue signals are continuous. The signal is
What is the Starting Point? bands, Very High Frequency (VHF) and Ultra High ecommunications (IMT) in Region 1, which includes transmitted from the television station’s antenna
The old analogue formats used in broadcasting Frequency (UHF) indicate the spectrum frequencies Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the western part of to the receiving aerial connected to the television,
were standardised over 50 years ago and have un- that have been traditionally allocated for television the Persian Gulf, states in the former Soviet Union and and the amplitude of the signal varies depending on
dergone many changes. The digital switchover in broadcasting. Mongolia.7 Subsequently the European Conference what is happening in the picture. Each broadcaster
broadcasting involves the change from transmitting The exact occupancy of the radio spectrum of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations is assigned a particular frequency and a channel
video and audio using analogue signals to digital varies from one country to the other, but most (CEPT) designated the 790–862 MHz as the European number. A viewer then tunes their television to that
signals. countries operate below the 470 MHz band. For digital dividend, and has harmonised a spectrum band frequency by changing the channel on their tel-
example, in the United Kingdom, there is no an- plan for IMT8. Beside the frequency band 790–862 evision set to receive the content produced by the
What is the digital switchover in broadcasting? alogue TV broadcasting in the frequency below MHz, the UK regulator Ofcom has identified a second broadcaster that leases that particular frequency.
470MHz. Meanwhile, in African countries, many sub-band of the Ultra High Frequency (UHF) spectrum Analogue signals deteriorate more rapidly over
The primary purpose of the transition to digital is
analogue TV stations broadcast between 175MHz that will be cleared—550–630 MHz (channel ranges long distances, and interference from other sources
to use the spectrally more efficient digital signal
and 470MHz, mainly in the VHF Band III.6 In South 31–40) leaving channels 21–30 and 41–62 for digital is more evident, producing “ghost images”, static
that requires much less bandwidth than the older
Africa, the public TV channel SABC1 occupies the television multiplexes.9 and “snow”. Such problems are often experienced
analogue methods. On this basis, digital television
frequency band between 175.25MHz (channel 3) As with most other African states, Cameroon in big cities where a signal can bounce between
broadcasts can continue to be enhanced through
and 247.13MHz (channel 13). Ghana Broadcast- has adopted the Geneva 2006 Agreement (GE 06) large buildings.
improved picture quality, such as high definition
ing Corporation (GBC), which broadcasts under which set 17 June 2015 as the switch-off date be- Digital broadcasting works by translating sound
and 3D broadcasts.
the GTV brand, occupies channels between five yond which analogue TV broadcasting in these and picture into digital data rather than analogue
Also, spectral efficiencies allow far more chan-
and twelve, which are in the VHF Band III (under bands will no longer be protected from overspill of waveforms. Digital links, thanks to the use of data
nels to operate within a given amount of available
300MHz). In Burundi, the national TV station also signals from neighbouring countries that have com- compression, use bandwidth more efficiently than
radio spectrum—instead of just a handful of differ-
broadcasts in the VHF Band III. Broadcasting in pleted the transition.10 Some African countries have analogue links, which allows a content provider
ent channels on an analogue network, dozens, if
Cameroon also mainly falls below the 470 MHz asked for an extension of this deadline to 2020. The more room for additional services/channels, and/
not hundreds of channels can be made available,
band. (Figure 1) 2015 date is generally viewed as the internation- or to provide channels with higher-quality images
in a much smaller section of the wavebands than
The exact size of the “digital dividend” will be ally mandated analogue switch-off date, at least and audio than had been previously available. Gen-
were previously required for analogue distribution.
determined by the amount of spectrum required along national borders (where interference could erally, twelve or more digital channels can fit into
For example, up to twelve standard definition (SD)
to accommodate existing analogue TV channels occur if a switch from analogue to digital was not the spectrum used by a single analogue channel,
digital channels can be accommodated in the space
in digital form and the space that may be required simultaneous among neighbouring countries). The depending on the quality levels specified.
previously taken up by one analogue channel. This
for future expansion of TV broadcasting. The dig- European Commission recommended that its mem- Viewers with digital signals receive a much
leads to an outcome of even greater significance—
ital dividend can provide more TV channels and bers should complete the digital switchover before clearer picture, and although viewers at the very
abandoning analogue broadcasting liberates large
improved broadband services. In this respect it is 1 January 2012 in Commission Recommendation edge of an analogue coverage area may get some
sections of the radio spectrum which will no longer
important to carry out a spectrum audit and to de- 2009/848/EC dated 28 October 2009, but not all kind of picture, the digital signal simply stops work-
be required, in what is referred to as the “digital
velop an up-to-date spectrum management plan so members have completed the process.11 ing at the end of the digital coverage area.
dividend”. This freed-up spectrum can be used for
that the availability of spectrum in the future can be GE 06 contains spectrum assignments by con- In order to receive digital signals, an analogue
increasing access to high-speed broadband wire-
identified. tracting countries intended for transmission of DTV television will require a radio signal reception and
less internet, making it possible to reach remote
These choices are important because the tel- after migration. However, each country will need to decoding device, most often called a set-top box
and rural areas.
ecoms industry will need some of the freed-up to translate the digital signals back to analogue for
A straight conversion from existing analogue
spectrum to roll-out 4G mobile services. Any delay existing TV sets. Alternatively, a viewer can buy a
to digital broadcasting could free up about 80% 7 For more details, see: International Telecommunications Union
in this process through lack of clarity or disagree- digitally enabled television set. Computer or laptop
of current spectrum being used. How much of “World Radiocommunication Conference 2007 (WRC-07) Final
ments between the telecoms and the broadcast Acts” Accessed 1 March 2013 http://www.itu.int/pub/R-ACT- owners can also watch digital signals by plugging in
that 80% goes to digital broadcasting or to mo- WRC.8-2007/en
sector will delay this process. a USB digital TV tuner to view broadcasts on their
bile broadband or to TV white spaces (TVWS) is 8 Detailed reports are available for download at: http://www.cept.org/
screens.12
an issue to be resolved.5 The graphics below are a 9 For more details, see: Ofcom “Digital dividend: clearing the 800
MHz band” 30 June 2009 http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/ From the user and broadcast industry perspec-
simplified representation of spectrum occupancy of
binaries/consultations/800mhz/statement/clearing.pdf tive, another very important aspect of the DSO is
analogue and digital TV broadcasting. The orange
6 Very high frequency (VHF) signals fall between 30–300 MHz. They 10 For a copy of the Geneva 2006 Agreement, see: http://www.itu.int/ the ability to provide conditional access and value-
are used for FM radio, television broadcasts and line-of-sight, ITU-R/terrestrial/broadcast/plans/ge06/index.html.
added data services. Conditional access capabilities
ground-to-aircraft and aircraft-to-aircraft communications as well 11 For copy of the European Commission recommendation 2009/848/
5 TV white spaces refer to frequencies allocated to as land mobile and maritime mobile communications, amateur EC, see: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=O
a broadcasting service but not used locally. radio and weather radio. VHF Band III covers 174 to 230 MHz. J:L:2009:308:0024:0026:EN:PDF 12 Such a device should cost no more than USD 10.
8 / Practical Guide for Digital Switchover (DSO) in Cameroon Module 1 / 9of digital receivers allow the provision of a mix of current mobile broadband spectrum and requires available, satellite can also be used to transmit tele- radio signal is both clearer and takes up less spec-
free-to-air, subscription and pay-per-view channels. fewer base stations to cover the same geographic vision signals from the broadcaster to the terrestrial trum than its analogue equivalent. However, there
Digital broadcasting also supports smart devices, area. This lowers deployment costs and allows op- transmission masts. However, because investment are no equivalents to set-top boxes for televisions
sophisticated online programme guides, automat- erators to provide broader, more affordable rural has already been made in a mast network, it makes so each listener would have to buy a new radio
ed recording of broadcasts, and other data services. coverage as well as sufficient capacity for broadband sense in most cases to build on the existing terres- receiver.
services. By allocating a portion of the spectrum for trial network during the digital switchover. In the medium to long term, this process is
Which African countries have begun the digital broadband services, Cameroon’s government could Nevertheless, for scattered viewers in more probably irrelevant to Cameroon, especially as the
switchover in broadcasting and how long help accelerate broadband take-up. The increased remote areas, satellite is likely to be more cost- internet is increasingly used to receive audio broad-
will it take? speeds available would enable a much wider range effective than terrestrial transmission, at least in casts, and offline broadcasts, known as podcasts.
In a report prepared for the African Telecommunica- of broadband content and services, which is also the near-term. In the longer term, terrestrial cover-
tions Union in November 2011, out of the 54 countries expected to lead to faster economic growth, as age is expected to increase substantially because
shown by studies conducted by the World Bank and broadcasters can share the cost of the digital trans- Who is Affected by the Digital Switchover?
and territories in Africa, the majority have not started
on the practical implementation of the digital switch- others.16 mission network as they are no longer required to The digital switchover affects almost every member
over, and only Mauritius has turned off its analogue In order to obtain the maximum benefit from the invest in infrastructure exclusively for their own use. of a society.
signals.13 Nine countries have formally launched the changeover, clear timelines for freeing up the spec- IPTV18 is a protocol for delivering television over
trum need to be put in place along with a broadband the internet (usually using fibre, but also using Consumers
process: Algeria, Gabon, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria,
Rwanda, Tanzania, Tunisia, and Uganda. However, in strategy, so that the benefits of the newly available wireless broadband) to households. Like cable, or Almost everyone who has an existing analogue tel-
a number of these countries (for example, Nigeria), spectrum can be maximised. In this way, the dig- Wi-Fi, there is a higher installation cost than with evision will have to buy a digital set-top box or a
the process began without a formal policy proc- ital switchover and the development of broadband a set-top box, although this is now changing with digitally-enabled television. Although prices vary,
ess in place through a private joint venture with could be integral elements of a broader government the emergence of more wireless broadband. In the a set-top box is likely to cost between USD 30–70
the state broadcaster. An additional six countries policy that can help widen access to both television main, IPTV has so far been used by pay TV opera- (depending on the taxes imposed, the volumes
have launched pilots: Angola (for a short period and the internet, whatever platforms they are car- tors. Because of the high capital costs, it has so purchased and the features) and a new, digitally
only), Burundi (commercial), CAR (small-scale), DRC ried on. far tended to be deployed in Africa in the wealthier enabled television may cost between USD 300–500.
(small-scale), Guinea (small-scale) and South Africa. parts of dense urban areas. The heaviest impact will fall on those least able
DSO delivery platforms (IPTV, handheld, cable, There is currently no IPTV in Cameroon but to afford the cost of the set-top box. There is no fool-
With the exception of South Africa, most of these
pilots are small and are not part of a broader policy satellite digital broadcasting) it may emerge when the national fibre network is proof method for calculating the number of those
process. Cameroon is somewhere in the middle of The discussions of the digital switchover in broad- priced at levels related to operating costs, or when who might not be able to afford the cost. However, a
this field in terms of the DSO process.14 casting tend to focus almost entirely on terrestrial competition is allowed in this segment of the mar- mobile phone could be taken as a proxy as the low-
Elsewhere, in countries that began the DSO transmission systems. In other words, the discus- ket and an operator invests in its own fibre network. est cost handset is on average in the USD 50 range.
earlier, the transition process has taken between sions focus on replacing the network of existing Triple play services (voice, data and video in one Therefore, mobile phone users can be understood
five and fifteen years to complete.15 During the analogue transmitters with digital ones. However, bundle) tend to emerge under these conditions. to represent a category of people in each country
transition, both analogue and digital signals were in a world in which digital delivery systems are Although cable has been deployed in Angola, that are able to afford a USD 50 device.
transmitted and this is known as the dual illu- converging, it is worth considering other forms of Kenya and Mozambique, there are currently only a
broadcast delivery that could play a role in supple- small number of cable operators in Cameroon, with Broadcasters
mination period. Most countries have made the
transition on an area-by-area basis, turning off each menting terrestrial transmission. The key issue is relatively few subscribers who largely deliver inter- Broadcasters will be affected both on the pro-
area one by one until the process was complete. the cost-effectiveness of each delivery platform. national content. duction and transmission side of their business.
It would therefore be realistic to imagine that the In Cameroon, satellite is probably the most sig- Virtually all broadcasters have already started to
nificant additional television delivery platform. For Does DSO affect radio and television go digital on the production side (in capturing and
whole process could take ten years or more to com-
plete in Cameroon. example, there are around 30,000 Canal+ subscrib- in the same manner? storing the multimedia data) and each will be at
ers17 but also considerably more pirated set-top As part of the digital transition in broadcasting, it a different stage in the process of changing their
Why the digital switchover is part of a broader boxes that have access to the company’s broad- is possible to include radio amongst the channels equipment. Because Cameroon’s state broadcast-
digital strategy that includes broadband access casts. Both legal and pirate viewers will be able to transmitted. If this happens, all those who have ei- ers are almost entirely funded by a combination of
One of the key outcomes of making the digital watch the local free-to-air digital channels that are ther a set-top box or digitally enabled television will advertising revenues and direct public funds, it falls
switchover is freeing up spectrum which can be expected to be carried by Canal+, thus considerably be able to listen to the radio stations carried. to the government to finance this part of the transi-
used for rolling out the next generation of broad- increasing the number of viewers watching local Radio is also undergoing a transition to digital tion for the state broadcaster, CRTV.
band. This is called the digital dividend. terrestrial channels from the satellite pay-TV signal. but the process is happening much more slowly and The key difference with analogue broadcasting
The digital dividend spectrum is ideal for broad- Satellite is a particularly cost-effective trans- there are no globally agreed deadlines for the proc- lies in the signal distribution side. Here, digital broad-
band because it is at a lower frequency than the mission platform for broadcasting. With the right ess. The main countries involved in the process are cast transmitters carry far more channels than a single
coverage beam, an entire country can be pro- developed nations including the USA, UK, Australia, traditional broadcaster, so it is no longer necessary for
vided with television services. Where fibre is not Japan and Korea. a broadcaster to always deploy its own equipment. In-
13 Balancing Act for the African Telecommunications Union The digital The arguments for making a transition from stead, this task is outsourced to a signal distribution
broadcast transition: Changes in spectrum and their implications
analogue to digital in the radio sector are similar provider (also called a multiplexer) which effectively
(London, December 2011), 30 16 For example, see: Tim Kelly and Carlo Maria Rossotto ed.
14 Ibid. Broadband Strategies Handbook (Washington: The World Bank, to some of the arguments for television. The digital shares the cost of transmission among multiple
15 For an updated list, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_ 2012) http://www.infodev.org/en/Publication.1118.html broadcasters, who are now more accurately called
terrestrial_television#Analogue_to_digital_transition_by_country 17 Interview with industry source, October 2012 18 Internet Protocol Television content-providers. With the separation of the signal
10 / Practical Guide for Digital Switchover (DSO) in Cameroon Module 1 / 11carriage function and the sharing of transmission in- leadership in facilitating the process. Their role is mainstay of the Cameroonian economy is agricul- Since the project was set up, it has become increas-
frastructure through one or more signal carriers, all discussed in greater detail below. ture. In 2012, agriculture accounted for 19.8% of ingly clear that Cameroon’s ICT strategy is in need
broadcasters could eventually be able to offer a wider GDP as opposed to 49.3% for services and 30.9% of updating along with relevant policy and regula-
coverage area to more citizens. (Table 1) The DSO Context in Cameroon for industry.22 Between 2006 and 2011 the transport, tory reforms. The high price of both international
storage and communication sectors have grown from and national bandwidth at both retail and whole-
Wireless broadband providers Social, economic and political context
4.8% to 7% of the GDP, while the finance and busi- sale levels has been a barrier to widening internet
The timetable and implementation of the digital Cameroon is a bilingual country with two official ness services sector has doubled its share of the access in the country. International bandwidth
switchover will dictate the availability of the spec- languages (English and French). Around 20% of its GDP, from 5.2% to 10.9%.23 There has also been rela- prices are amongst the highest in the region and
trum set aside for broadband internet. This will people speak English while the rest speak French. tively steady economic growth in the country24 and there are a number of regulatory issues that still
affect the speed with which existing mobile opera- In addition, there are 247 vernacular languages, all this has been reflected in the growth of all forms of require resolution before a WACS landing station
tors are able to put in place bandwidth upgrades. of which, even those which are more widely spo- advertising, but particularly TV advertising.25 can become fully operational, which should help
Cameroon has not yet finalised spectrum alloca- ken, are regionally specific.19 Cameroon has five big to lower international capacity prices. Cameroon is
tions for 3G, so this may result in a knock-on impact cities, the largest of which are the administrative ICT access and broadcasting in Cameroon also lagging behind many other countries in the re-
on the implementation of 4G, irrespective of when capital Yaoundé and the commercial centre Douala, An Information and Communications Technology gion in issuing 3G licences. A process to do so is in
the spectrum becomes available. where most broadcasters are based. (ICT) strategy for Cameroon was drafted under the place, but there are some challenges that have yet
Data operators will bear the cost of investing in The country has a relatively young population leadership of the Agence Nationale des Tech- to be resolved. Spectrum management plans need
the physical infrastructure and buying the spectrum with 60.7% under the age of 25 and an adult litera- nologies de l’Information et de la Communication to be updated and a broadband strategy which
required to run the services. If the cost of spectrum cy rate of 75.9%. Over half (58.%) of the population (ANTIC) in 2007 and subsequently a committee takes into account the digital dividend is required.
is high, there will be fewer companies willing to pay lives in urban areas.20 was set up to oversee its overall implementation in The Agence de Regulation des Telecommunica-
to offer services and it will act as a barrier to market It is the biggest country (475,440 sq km) in the 2009. A separate committee was set up to oversee tions (ART) has received consultancy assistance
entry. Similarly, spectrum costs born by operators Communauté Économique et Monétaire des États the e-government element of the strategy in 2010. for some of these areas and this may help address
will ultimately be passed to consumers in the form de l’Afrique Centrale (CEMAC) and stretches from The mandate of ANTIC has subsequently changed, some of these issues.
of higher retail prices, which will put additional con- Lake Chad in the north to Equatorial Guinea in the with a new focus on cyber-security and legislation In the broadcast sector, there are five main
straints on usage levels, especially amongst those south, with two areas extending into Nigeria and associated with it. free-to-air TV players: the state-run CRTV, and four
with the lowest incomes. Congo-Brazzaville. This geography poses particular A Central African Backbone Project has been set private providers (Equinoxe TV, Canal 2, STV and
Whilst the newly available digital-dividend challenges for terrestrial TV transmission coverage: up in the region with World Bank support.26 Known Ariane TV). These are the broadcasters with the
spectrum can be seen as a way of paying for the the country has a land area of 472,710 sq km and as CAB1 and housed in Cameroon by the minis- widest current national coverage footprints, attract-
new infrastructure required (both for the signal dis- stretches from Chad in the North to Equatorial Guin- try of telecommunications, the project has three ing both audiences and advertising at a significant
tribution and consumer set-top boxes), ultimately ea and Gabon in the South.21 components: level. Other broadcasters address much smaller au-
some part of those costs will be passed to the con- Even though the country is an oil exporter, the
• To improve the ICT sector in Cameroon by lower- diences. One example is Vision4, which transmits to
sumer, thus defeating the objective of making the most of what might be called the greater Yaounde
ing prices, improving regulation and increasing
new services no more costly than they were before. area.
19 George Echu “The Language Question in Cameroon” Linguistik online competition
18, 1/04 (2004) http://www.linguistik-online.de/18_04/echu.html CRTV broadcasts in French and English 24 hours
Government 20 United States Central Intelligence Agency “The World Factbook – • To connect the capitals of the three neighbouring
daily, the national radio stations broadcast in French
Policy-makers and regulators are affected by the Cameroon” Accessed March 1 2012 https://www.cia.gov/library/ countries (Cameroon, Chad and Central African
publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cm.html and English (primarily in French), and the provincial
digital process because they need to provide Republic) and give the landlocked countries ac-
21 Ibid. The land area excludes lakes, rivers and other bodies of water. and local stations use vernacular languages as well
cess to the submarine cable landing stations in
as French and English.
Table 1 Cameroon (SAT-3 currently, WACS, ACE by 2013)27
There is no regular or reliable data on audiences
Arguments for Different Digital Broadcast Options • To promote transparency through the use of e- for individual TV channels, audiences for different
government services. programmes, or advertising expenditure, both over-
Option Pros Cons
all and by channel.
Single publicly- • Shared infrastructure costs • Potentially a monopoly with no clear regulatory Industry sources estimate that across all media,
owned carrier • Potential to maximise coverage framework
there is an annual advertising expenditure of be-
footprint • Unlikely the state has the funds to underwrite it
• Ability to re-use state broadcaster • Doubts about operational efficiency 22 Ibid.
tween CFA 20–30 billion (USD 40–60 million)28 and
assets 23 African Development Bank, the OECD Development Centre, the that the overall advertising expenditure has been
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the United growing year on year over the last two years at just
Public-private- • Introduces new investment • Needs a clear regulatory framework Nations Development Programme African Economic Outlook 2012 –
under 10% each year. According to the same sources,
partnership (PPP) into the sector • Will private operators trust it? Cameroon (Issy les Moulineaux: OECD Development Centre, 2012),
carrier • Shared infrastructure costs • Fears about fees charged to private 4 http://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Documents/ the breakdown of advertising revenues is approxi-
• Potential to maximise coverage broadcasters Publications/Cameroon%20Full%20Country%20Note.pdf mately as follows: television (40%); outdoor (30%);
footprint
24 Ibid. 3 radio (20%) and newspapers and all other media
25 Interview with industry source, October 2012
(10%). Discount levels are relatively low, with a 35%
Private and public • Maximises investment • Most opertators will focus on existing urban 26 For more information and most recent documents associated with
the Central African Backbone Project, see: http://www.worldbank. discount possible for six months payment in advance
carriers • Allows consortia to develop amongst area coverage
org/projects/P108368/central-african-backbone-apl1a?lang=en
(multiple signal those who can work together • Could lead to confusion amongst TV users
27 The South Atlantic 3/West Africa Submarine Cable (Sat-3), the Africa
carrier licences) • Offers highest level of redundancy
Coast to Europe (ACE), and the West Africa Cable System (WACS). 28 Interview with industry sources, October 2012
12 / Practical Guide for Digital Switchover (DSO) in Cameroon Module 1 / 13with one of the main channels and up to 50% for pay- of this local content is news, talk shows and debates part of the strategy, the CAM-DBS committee will scattered while catering for the same coverage
ment one year in advance. Local advertisers tend to and that the quotas are generally not monitored. Ac- be replaced by the Digital Broadcasting Migration target, resulting in poor reception issues such as
use the smaller, more locally focused TV channels. cording to its mandate, the government broadcaster Implementation Body (CAM-DTV) as part of the ap- “ghosting”, blurred images and poor sound. Large
On this basis, the authors of this study estimate CRTV has “to promote and develop local content, for proval of the country’s switchover strategy and the masts are also not always welcomed by communi-
that there is between USD 15.6–23.4 million of TV example through adherence to minimum quotas”34 membership will be changed. But the difficult part, ties due to environmental aesthetics. Moreover,
advertising. Research conducted in other African and is probably the main generator of local content. actually implementing the policy, still lies ahead. analogue broadcasting is susceptible to unreliable
countries29 indicates that the main players (five in It seems likely that CRTV is the largest producer of system performance under mobile reception condi-
this instance) share 80% of all TV advertising rev- local TV programmes although no research has been Policy and regulatory framework within the tions and interference.
enues. Therefore, the remaining TV stations attract conducted to confirm this view. context of DSO In contrast, digital broadcasting provides oppor-
only between USD 3.12–4.68 million annually. Even if The current broadcast transmission structure is There are a number of policy and regulatory issues tunities for the sharing of infrastructure facilitating
the estimated figures were twice as large as the ones a combination of public and private infrastructure. that need to be considered as part of the digital signal distribution at lower costs. Producers have
provided here, the same financial weakness amongst As the state broadcaster, CRTV has the widest reach switchover. These are discussed in detail in Module the ability to integrate various content modes in a
the smaller TV stations would still be apparent.30 in terms of national coverage, followed by the main 2 and can provide an agenda for many of the key de- variety of languages.
This limited amount of advertising revenue private players identified in this section. cisions that need to be taken now that the strategy The successful implementation of the DSO in
shows that small independent TV stations must It is estimated that CRTV covers the same 60% is in place. These include: Cameroon will have the following advantages:
have other non-commercial sources of income. If of the geographic area of the country connected to • The digital dividend (new spectrum for broad-
• The completion of the licensing process for
there is to be an increase in the amount of local con- the electricity grid, through 64 transmitters.35 Since band wireless): It is evident that spectrum
broadcasters so that all who have successfully
tent and number of channels, this issue of business 2001, it has also offered satellite transmission. In efficiency is one of the major benefits of DSO. The
been awarded a licence and paid their fees are
models in Cameroon’s broadcasting sector will need preparation for the transition, it has also installed DSO provides an opportunity to free up spectrum
ready for this new phase of broadcasting
to be addressed. 14 transmitters that are capable of providing both to enable the roll-out of more broadband. The
The largest subscription/pay TV operator is analogue and digital signals. • Offering additional digital channels to existing
spectrum freed will also generate income when it
Vivendi-owned Canal+ which has around 30,000 sub- While private stations also have their own trans- broadcasters (subject to agreeing carriage costs)
is licensed to operators.
scribers.31 There is no reliable data on pirate users but mitters, they are also linked together through the Offering channels to new operators
most estimates put them at three-to-five times that satellite subsidiary of the monopoly operator Camtel. • More efficient TV transmission signals, cheaper
• Creating a spectrum plan that can be used for
number.32 The largest local pay TV operator is TV+. The reliability of these links is an issue for broadcast- spectrum bills: The signals carrying the chan-
planning the digital dividend and agreeing future
There are a small number of local TV producers ers. Both STV and Canal2 are received in the southern nels of Cameroon’s broadcasters will occupy less
spectrum re-allocations
generating series programming, largely for CRTV. half of the country and are also available over satellite spectrum and require less bandwidth to transmit.
In terms of film-makers, Cameroon has a relatively as part of satellite and cable TV bouquets. • Deciding on the structure, governance and financ- As such, they should be able to take advantage
small number of Francophone directors who raise The Cameroon Digital Broadcasting Switchover ing of the signal carrier of Camtel’s national fibre network. Both of these
production money internationally and a larger (CAM-DBS) strategy has been approved by the gov- • Creating a framework for a low-cost set-top box factors could lower transmission cost if afford-
number of Anglophone directors who produce the ernment, which has earmarked a number of projects including agreeing on its specification as well as able pricing on Camtel’s network is set as a policy
equivalent of Nollywood productions, sometimes that will address support for creation of more local deciding on whether there should be subsidies or objective.
dubbed Collywood. content. The same strategy also set targets for ex- the removal of taxes • Greater number of channels, greater diversity
After the broadcasting sector was liberalised tending the transmission coverage area through a (entertainment, sport, vernacular languages and
• Creating a switchover plan that provides a time-
in 2000, broadcasters did not pay licence fees due single national signal carrier. education): The DSO offers new channel opportuni-
table for piloting and completing the digital
to what were seen as high costs. The government In terms of local content, it is important to ties for both existing broadcasters and new market
illumination of the country on a region-by-region
has since required that all broadcasters should consider creating funds that can be used to sup- entrants. There are both commercial and public
basis (see Module 5)
have licences and pay for them. Thus far, three TV port local production and to examine the levels of benefit opportunities. On the commercial side, ex-
broadcast licences (Canal2, Spectrum TV and TV+) funding going to CRTV for this purpose.36 A wider • The creation of a public awareness body and a isting broadcasters could add new channels that
and one radio licence (Sweet FM) have been issued. consideration is whether new digital channels campaign. either might be targeted at niche audiences (for
The government plans to issue the balance of the should be made available for vernacular languages example, youth or regional vernacular languages)
licences to the other broadcasters shortly, who cur- focusing exclusively or largely on local or African- Positives and Negatives of the Digital or offer extensions of content they already carry.
rently operate on the basis of an “autorisation.” generated content. Switchover in Broadcasting New free-to-air channel opportunities include
Section 16 of the 2010 Communications Act33 Some of the positives and negatives of the digital entertainment, sports, news and lifestyle. Exist-
stipulates that 30% of TV and 51% of radio must be The status of DSO in Cameroon switchover flow directly from the DSO like the free- ing broadcasters and new entrants can use new
locally produced. The reality seems to be that most Cameroon has set up a temporary multi-stake- ing up spectrum space, while others are indirect channels to attract viewers they are not already
holder policy committee (CAM-DBS) that drafted a benefits or drawbacks that come from using the reaching. On the public side, there are opportuni-
policy that will be approved by the government. As process to address related issues. ties for learning and addressing consumer issues.
29 Balancing Act African Broadcast and Film Markets (London:
February 2012)
For a relatively small amount of money, it could
The potential benefits of the digital switchover be possible to seed-fund an organisation to carry
30 Interviews with local broadcasters and advertisers, October 2012 34 Enoh Tanjong Cameroon - Public Broadcasting in Africa
31 Interview with industry sources, October 2012 (Johannesburg: Open Society Initiative for West Africa, 2012), Digital broadcasting addresses an inherent problem out regular market research for broadcasters and
32 Interview with industry sources, October 2012. This seems possible x http://www.gsma.com/spectrum/wp-content/uploads/ in analogue transmission. In analogue broadcasting, advertisers. Once value has been demonstrated,
as the last audience survey in 2009 showed Canal+ achieving an DigitalDividend/DDtoolkit/regional-status-map.html
each broadcaster carries its own signal. Therefore, these two groups of stakeholders could pay for it
audience share similar to the leading free-to-air broadcasters. 35 Interview with CRTV staff member
33 Law No. 2010/013 of 21 December 2010 Governing Electronic 36 All employees, public or private, earning a salary pay a tax named the combined network management costs for the to continue. The same approach could be adopted
Communications “redevance audiovisuelle” and contribute to CRTV in this way. industry are high. Analogue transmitters are often for studying levels of advertising revenues.
14 / Practical Guide for Digital Switchover (DSO) in Cameroon Module 1 / 15• Extending the TV transmission area to allow create a conversation around its news and current TV, which translates to 660,000 TV sets.37 If 50% of • The environmental burden of analogue equip-
more people to watch TV: The DSO will provide affairs output that can form a part of its program- these apply for subsidy, and if the subsidy level is ment disposal: If 75% of the 660,000 televisions
opportunities for extending access to broad- ming. This reinforces the need for the state to have about USD 30 (the current cost of a low-end set-top that are likely to be discarded are not recycled,
casting. For example, Mauritania has an agency a broadband strategy that will assist in the devel- box), the total cost would be close to USD 10 million. this would amount to a national deficit of approxi-
called Agence de Promotion d’Access Universel opment of these kinds of feedback loops, both for • Paying for new channels: The relatively small size mately 10,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalents, 225
aux Services that promotes access to water, elec- media and for other parts of the government. of the current advertising market in Cameroon is mega litres of water, 175,000 gigajoules of energy
tricity, telecoms and ICT. This enables a holistic • An opportunity to review and improve the ben- an issue. (see section 1.4.2). Put simply, the current and 70,000 cubic metres of landfill space.38 There
approach to universal service in un-served or un- efits offered by public broadcasting: The digital advertising revenues do not support the current is also potential for the poisoning of the water
der-serviced areas. Universal access funds can be switchover provides an opportunity to review and number of television stations. After the DSO, some table from chemicals that leak out from TV sets
deployed to assist with this kind of roll-out. The reconsider the public benefits offered by the of these stations will be able to transmit using a in landfills. This could create an additional cost
existing CRTV transmission area that reaches 60% state broadcaster relative to its budget. The signal carrier and this may reduce their overall cap- that is hard to calculate at this stage but will be
of the country more or less mirrors the coverage digital switchover offers a number of new op- ital and operating costs but the financial weakness significant in terms of creating a nationwide recy-
area for access to electricity. If the coverage area portunities for it to deliver more to Cameroon’s of the market will still be present. cling structure.
is to be extended beyond this, it will be important citizens including:
to combine extensions to the transmission area
with a focus on prioritised areas for electricity u More local content including film, comedy
roll-out. and series, which could lead to a local con-
tent channel, acting as an exemplar to other
• Increasing availability of local content: It is
broadcasters.
difficult to encourage local content in direct
competition to international content. For exam- u New vernacular language channels that can ei-
ple, it may cost USD 10,000 to produce a local ther be national or regional, depending on the
programme but only USD 100–200 to buy in an number of potential viewers.
equivalent amount of internationally produced
telenovelas. The latter have all but covered u Education channels aimed primarily at primary
their production costs in their home market and and secondary school children that can be used
therefore revenues from international sales are both in schools and by parents for out-of-school
simply additional marginal revenues. Thus far, learning with their children. Such channels can
few African television stations have successfully also be used for university and informal educa-
generated sales from programmes they show na- tion and teacher training.
tionally. This needs to be encouraged so that they u A channel that will show the activities and de-
can compete for these kinds of revenues. bates of Cameroon’s National Assembly.
• Increasing skills and employment in the u A consumer affairs channel that can increase
broadcast sector: The DSO provides a golden consumer awareness and take up individual
opportunity to upgrade the skills of existing consumer complaints.
employees and to expand the overall number of
employees in the sector. New channels will mean The negative effects of the digital switchover
more personnel and this can be linked with train- The potential negative impacts of the digital switch-
ing strategies to skill-up the new entrants. over are summarised below:
• Getting benefits from converged broadcast de- • The cost of the transmission infrastructure: It has
livery and channels for feedback: It is possible been estimated that the cost of new transmis-
to include a return path in the set-top box using sion infrastructure for Cameroon will be USD 82.5
a GPRS modem but this will add to the overall million compared to the USD 60 million for Cote
cost of the set-top box and undercuts the need to d’Ivoire which is a smaller country (see section
make the set-top box as cheap as possible. How- 4.7). These cost estimates are for building a single
ever, for market research data, a panel of 1,000+ transmission infrastructure. Estimating multiple
viewers can be set up with set-top box with a re- public and private infrastructures (some of which
turn path that can track , precise viewing times would only cover urban areas) is much harder to
and programmes watched for research purposes. do without a clearer set of assumptions.
• Social feedback: Broadcasters can also use so- • The cost of set-top boxes: The Government of Cam-
cial media like Facebook and Twitter and more eroon estimates that there are about 3.3 million
37 The 20% figure was chosen on the basis of the authors’ previous
work for the Open Society Institute in Ghana and Nigeria. That 38 Figures based on: Government of Australia — Environment
traditional SMS responses to get feedback that households, of which of which about 20% have a figure is similar to the number of people who could not afford Protection and Heritage Council Statement on End of Life
can influence their future programming. The state a mobile handset. The figure for the number of households in Televisions November 2008 http://www.scew.gov.au/archive/
broadcaster can use this kind of social media to Cameroon comes from estimates made by Cameroon government product-stewardship/pubs/cmptrs__eol_televisions_and_
officials during interviews conducted in October 2012. computers_200811.pdf
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