With two years to the2015 internationally agreed analogue switch-off deadline, Tanzania is the Only East African country to switch off its analogue television signal.

The Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) switched off analogue signal transmission in Dar es Salaam on December 31, 2012 at midnight. There were reports, however, of technical hitches as most decoders failed to relay images after the switch off. Tanzania intends to take a phase approach in order to ensure the process is smooth.

Other East African countries are still struggling with logistics or the availability and affordability of set-top boxes.

According to The East African, Burundi is still stuck at the feasibility study stage as of May 2012.

Uganda

Uganda hoped to switch on digital signal first in Kampala and its suburbs on December 31, 2012. The public would though enjoy concurrent transmission of both analogue and digital transmission until the global cut over date of June 2015.

The region's third largest economy also faces certain hurdles such as disagreements on who should be the signal distributor and the lack of a legal framework for the exercise as well as infrastructural challenges and lack of funds.

Kenya

Kenya on the other hand is still stuck in the dilemma of determining when analogue signal transmission should be switched off.

This comes after Consumer Federation of Kenya (Cofek) successfully managed to stop the December 31, 2012 analogue switch off exercise which the government intended to implement.

The High Court has given Cofek and the government until February 20 to reach a consensus of when analogue transmission should be switched off. This could be a difficult negotiation as Cofek recommends October 31, 2013 as the ideal switch off date while the government wants the digital migration to kick off before July 2013 sighting fears that Kenya would miss the global digital TV switch.

Speaking to Capital FM Business, Information and Communications Permanent Secretary Bitange Ndemo said, “It is very sad that we have had this setback because it takes an average of five years to migrate. Those countries that have done so started like eight years ago that is why we need to push and migrate. There is nobody that will say because Kenya delayed, give them some more time. No, the cut-off will still come by 2015……. We only have three years. That is not sufficient time to migrate. So we will have to explain more clearly to all the stakeholders and tell them that we have to move. The government has done its bit and we will still see what we can do to get more incentives.”

Considering the fact that it takes an average of five years to migrate and with about two years to the internationally agreed switch off date, East Africa’s preparedness to join the digital broadcast world is put to the test. Only time will tell if any of the East African countries will smoothly migrate into the digital world.