Electronic Communications Act, 2005 (Act No. 36 of 2005) Regulations Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) Regulations, 2009 1. Definitions

 

In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise indicates, a word or expression to which a meaning has been assigned in the Act has the meaning so assigned.

 

"the Act"

means the Electronic Communications Act, 2005 (Act No. 36 of 2005);

 

"Channel authorisation"

means the granting of permission by the Authority to a licensee to commence broadcasting a digital channel within the capacity allocated in terms of these regulations;

 

"Digital broadcasting"

means the use of digital data rather than analogue waveforms to carry broadcasts over assigned frequency;

 

"Digital incentive channel"

means a new public or commercial channel which is authorised as an incentive for migration, subject to the capacity allocated to existing television broadcasting services in terms of these regulations;

 

"Digital Terrestrial Television" (DTT)

means the application digital technology to provide a greater number of channels and/or better quality of picture and sound using aerial broadcasts to a conventional antenna/aerial instead of a satellite dish or cable connection;

 

"Dual illumination"

means the transmission of the same broadcast content in both analogue and digital technology;

 

"Dual illumination period"

means the period commencing 01 November 2008 until and including 30 April 2012;

 

"Existing television broadcasting services"

means broadcasters that provided analogue television services before the publication of these regulations and does not include services awarded one year licenses for test purposes;

 

"Hard switchover"

means a direct migration from analogue to digital television, without dual illumination, in a period not exceeding Twelve (12) months;

 

"Multiplex"

means a network of frequencies designed to simultaneously permit the transmission of two or more channels;

 

"Multiplex operator"

means an ECNS licensee who operates a multiplex;

 

"Multiplexing"

means the combining of data and video streams into one signal over a shared medium;

 

"Multiplex 1"

means the multiplex allocated for the purposes of broadcasting public, public commercial and community broadcasting television services;

 

"Multiplex 2"

means the multiplex allocated to commercial free-to-air broadcasting television services;

 

"Multiplex 3"

means the multiplex allocated to commercial subscription service, subject to M-Net conducting a hard-switchover;

 

"Public Value Test"

means the requirement that the authorisation of public channels be subject to a public process to meet the requirements of section 10 of tile Broadcasting Act, 1999 (Act No.4 of 1999) and section 2 of the Act;

 

"Standard Definition Television (SDTV)"

means digital transmissions with a resolution of at least 720 x 576 pixels, either interlaced/interfaced or progressive scanned formats.