The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has moved to a satellite-based approach for Nigeria’s renewed Digital Switch Over (DSO) project, targeting at least 40 million television households with free digital television services nationwide.
The Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Charles Ebuebu, disclosed this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.
Ebuebu said the renewed DSO strategy replaces the previous terrestrial transmission model, which achieved limited nationwide coverage, noting that the satellite platform will provide wider coverage and significantly increase access to free television services across the country.
He said the satellite-based platform is expected to provide up to 100 free-to-air television channels nationwide, compared with the previous terrestrial model, which carried between 24 and 28 channels depending on the location.
According to him, the earlier DSO plan combined terrestrial broadcasting for 75 to 80 per cent national coverage with satellite services for areas where mountains and difficult terrain affected signal reception.
The NBC Director-General said implementation of the terrestrial model in eight states revealed that it had covered less than a quarter of the country, exposing major infrastructure and coverage limitations.
He explained that achieving nationwide terrestrial coverage would require about 160 transmission towers, imported equipment and more than three years to complete, prompting the commission to adopt satellite technology for the renewed rollout.
Ebuebu disclosed that the platform is already transmitting more than 73 channels nationwide and is expected to increase to 100 channels in the coming months. He added that the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) is providing the satellite capacity and ground services for the Digital Switch Over project.
He said the satellite-based system will enable viewers to watch television channels from every part of Nigeria regardless of their location, providing immediate nationwide coverage without relying on terrestrial transmission towers.
