Wednesday June 17th this week is the Analog-to-digital TV migration deadline set by International Telecommunications Union (ITU). But don’t wait for Wednesday because Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) and Uganda Broadcasting Corporation(UBC) affiliate in charge of digital migration, Signet, will today do a test run ahead of the big switch according to the Daily Monitor.
Read more: Q&A: UCC answers on Digital TV Migration in Uganda
According to reports coming from the Daily Monitor, UCC executive director Godfrey Mutabazi is satisfied with the current digital TV coverage in and around the outskirts of Uganda.
“The commission hereby informs you that it is satisfied with the current digital coverage that has existed for the past six months in Kampala and areas 60km outside Kampala,” Mr Mutabazi is quoted by Daily Monitor in writing to all television broadcasters and the minister of Information and Communication Technology, Mr John Nasasira.
Read more: Digital TV Migration in Uganda: A beginner’s guide to switching from Analog to Digital TV
According to UCC, the analog to digital switch over will be in three phases. Phase one starts today. Phase two will follow on July 31, covering Arua, Kisoro, Mbarara, Mbale, Masaka and Masindi, and Phase three on August 30, covering Jinja, Ntungamo, Rubirizi, Fort portal, Gulu, Kiboga, Lira, Kabale and Soroti districts.
Read more: Digital TV Migration Uganda: Here’s a complete list of Free-To-Air channels and decoder vendors
However, Software guru Joseph Zikusooka who runs a website that tracks the progress of digital TV in Uganda is skeptical of this move by UCC. According to Joseph, only areas in Kampala can receive the digital signal which is very unreliable according to his tests. “The transmission in this area continues to be very spotty. If you are one of the few early adopters, and owns a digital TV tuner device, then you’ll have noticed that a number of TV channels on that platform are intermittent i.e. ‘On and off.’” Joseph wrote in his blog. So going with a Pay TV providers such as DSTV, Startimes, Zuku, AzamTV might be more plausible than having your own Free-To-Air decoder.
Also follow our dedicated Digital TV channel to learn about different digital TV service providers, channel lists, packages, decoder prices, FTA channels, flat screen and smart TV plus much more.
About David Okwii
David Okwii is the Editor-in-Chief of Dignited.com and a seasoned tech enthusiast whose journey began in the early 2000s. He started blogging while at university, diving deep into mobile apps, smartphone reviews, and operating systems—from testing Linux distros to tweaking Windows machines. David also explores Chromebooks, experiments with Raspberry Pi projects, and brings hands-on curiosity to every review. With vast experience in Uganda’s tech ecosystem and deep knowledge of Africa’s startup landscape, he offers informed, grounded perspectives on consumer technology. When he's not writing or tinkering, David enjoys connecting with nature and exploring the outdoors.
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