Zambia’s government has awarded its digital TV migration contract, worth $220 million, to China’s Star Software Technology Company, part of the StarTimes broadcasting giant.

StarTimes chairperson Pang Xing Sing described the awarding of the tender as one that was setting the pace to accelerate Zambia’s terrestrial digital migration by the stipulated deadline of 2015.  The announcement was made in Lusaka on May 8th.

“We will bring our expertise in terrestrial digital migration to Zambia at par with China and many other African countries where we have a successful track record,” Pang said.

StarTimes, mainly involved in large-scale system integration, digital TV network construction and operation has since 2007 established its footprint in 16 African countries.  The company has launched digital television (TV) operation services in Rwanda, Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Central African Republic, Guinea and Mozambique. StarTimes last week successfully took over the ODM/TopTV pay-TV business based in Johannesburg.

Pang said the fact that his company had built six uplink stations, 65 transmission stations and two digital TV play-out centres in Africa gave it greater confidence of successfully implementing terrestrial digital migration in Zambia.

He said the digital migration would enhance the film and broadcasting sector in Zambia, growing an impressive value chain as evidenced by the company’s mobile multimedia deployment in other African countries.

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