Kaduna (WorldStage Newsonline)-- As part efforts to meet the deadline set by world’s telecommunication body, the International Telecommunication Union for member countries to migrate to digital broadcasting in 2015, StarTime satellite network provider in Kaduna on Wednesday slashed prices of its decoders.
Nigerian’s Minister of Information, Labaran Maku on April 4th 2012 announced the deadline date for the country to be January 1, 2015. The concept behind Digital migration is the converting of TV broadcast signals from the current analogue format to digital technology.
Speaking at the media briefings for the launching of the product, Startime’s zonal General Manager, Jess Jing noted that in the quest of digitalizing broadcasting in Nigeria by 2015, the company was up to rescue Nigerians from not being left behind in the great revolution.
“That is why we are slashing our prices from N7,000 to N3,900,” he said.
According to him, the price cut would afford Nigerians the opportunities to experience and getting to know about the digital television.
“StarTimes has always been a saving intermediary between digital technology and Nigeria populace, giving them the best of digital affordability,” he said.
Jing also disclosed on the occasion that the company would send five Nigerians to the Peoples Republic of China to acquire knowledge in the manufacturing of digital satellite network for the technological development of the country.
The SarTime boss also said the choice of partnership with NTA was borne out of the fact that the station was more experienced, exposed and has management skills and capability than any television station in the country.
Jing pointed out that in no distant time more channels would be introduced into the decoder to meet up with popular demands, adding that for more people to acquire the decoder, the price has been slashed from N9, 000 to N3,900.
Also speaking, the Zonal Director of the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, Kaduna, Alhaji Bala Hassan gave an insight as to how the deal between the management and the Chinese firm was struck in 2010, saying that at the time the station was discussing on how to go digital on its broadcast, the Chinese firm, StarTimes came to its rescue by introducing digital transmission through decoder to the station.
He said, “It is a kind of business actually, there was a time the DG of the NTA was briefing us on how to go all digital. Some officials from StarTimes visited Nigeria and the idea was sought with the DG, and honestly that was the time when the NTA was struggling to for expansion, we were struggling to have new 24 channels, sports channel, entertainment channel, and by the time the officials came from the StarTimes, we realized it was a big relief for us because there were coming in with digital transmission signals while we were all struggling to expand, and at the same time struggling to digitalize.
“So by the time they met the DG, it was a good idea and an opportunity because something you are looking for just came nearby you, and it was discussed by the management with the Ministry of information, and the government bought the idea, it was not done by only the NTA, government has to come in. So that was how it all started, and later it became something great for us because it helped us in the digitalization effort.
“In fact, each time you hear people talking about digitalization, you will always hear them talk about StarTime. Thank God they just came by chance, and we grabbed it. I believe if they had come to your organization, you would have grabbed it. it was our luck.”
