Three DTT multiplexes in Mauritius
On the 5th October 2010, the Director of MBC, Mr Dan Calikhan launched the country’s third DTT multiplex. This follows the launch of the 1st multiplex in 2005 and the 2nd in 2007.
Multiplex 1 transmits the TV channels, MBC1, MBC2, MBC3, Movie Channel, TV5 Monde and DD India together with four Radio channels.
Multiplex 2 transmits the TV channels, Sports Channel, CCTV9, France 24, Knowledge Channel, DD Bharati and BBC World.
Multiplex 3 transmits the TV channels, Tourism Channel, Télugu Channel, Marathi Channel, Urdu Channel and Tamil Channel together with the Best FM radio channel.
Almost 60% of the population now own DTT Set Top Boxes.
Source: Local
Item added: 31st January 2011
Southern Africa Selects DVB-T2
After many meetings, presentations and months of uncertainty, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) digital task force has selected DVB-T2 with MPEG-4 compression as the terrestrial transmission standard for the region. By selecting the most future-proof solution SADC has underlined its slogan "Towards a Common Future".
SADC member countries include Angola, Botswana, DRC, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. All of the 15 countries had already selected DVB-T through the 2006 ITU Geneva agreements and can continue with this implementation if they have already started and migrate to DVB-T2 at a later date. It is expected that all SADC countries will each complete the formal adoption of DVB-T2 in the near future, paving the way for a very ambitious digital switchover date of December 2013.
One of its smallest members, Mauritius, has already completed the switch to DVB-T. South Africa, arguably its most influential member, has already performed many DVB-T trials and more recently DVB-T2 trials in Johannesburg as well. The South African broadcasting industry is strongly supporting the decision for DVB-T2 and is ready to help launch digital TV in South Africa and the region.
The official SADC decision and digital switchover planning can be found on the SADC website.
This important decision has also been widely covered in the press:
Broadband TV News
Tech Central
My Broadband
Screen Africa
Item added: 29th November 2010
MBC-Mauritius launches 2 DTT channels
MBC-Mauritius today (12th March) launched two digital channels to speed up customer uptake of digital TV sets and set-top boxes (STBs) as the country plans to switch off analogue transmissions in 2011.
The public broadcaster's Advisor of Broadcast Engineering, Prem Seebaluck, said one channel is dedicated to local and international movies, while the other will be a sports channel.
The two digital free-to-air channels will bring the number of channels aired by MBC to 12. The rest of the channels are still being broadcast in analogue.
"So far, take up has been slow, but we expect this to speed up because of the content on these channels.
"We have also been airing public service announcements to educate people on how to configure their STBs to receive the new digital reception," he said.
He said the digital channels were launched following extensive trials that were well received by the public.
Source: ABU website
Item added: 23rd March 2008
Slow start for DTT
The recent Soft-launch of DTT in Mauritius has led to a slow take up of Set Top Boxes.
Lack of public awareness and week content are cited as contributory factors in a comprehensive article by lexpress.mu
A further major stalling factor is that the original boxes, imported, were not compatible with the services being broadcast and had to be returned.
The current DTT platform offers 6 television programme services, BBC World, TV5, China Central TV 9, Doordarshan (DD) India, DD Bharati and B4U. Further services including MBC 1 are expected and an increase from 95 to 100% coverage by March.
The potential market is said to be 350,000 homes.
Source: Lexpress.com
Item added: 25th January 2006
DTT services on air in Mauritius
The Soft-launch of DTT services using DVB-T takes place today the 30th September at 8 o'clock in the evening.
This exciting step initiates the start of Terrestrial Digital Television services in Mauritius.
Source: MCML
Item added: 30th September 2005
DTT services in Mauritius could start in two months
An article in L'Express says that Free-to-air Digital Terrestrial Television services could start in Mauritius during the next two months.
Doordarshan, BBC World and TV5 would be among the six free services planned for launch on the single DTT multiplex, which has covered 70% of the territory with test transmissions since 2003.
Fareed Jangeerkhan, recently appointed as the new president of MBC has asked the government to extend this coverage to 90% of the territory and has also said that facilitating these new DTT services is his top priority.
Government plans to privatise the existing channels offered by MBC may delay the proposed DTT launch.
Source: L'Express
Item added: 29th September 2005
Previous
New company hopes to launch DTT services in Mauritius
According to an article in l'Express, reported on the Digitag website, Maxime King, head of London Satellite Systems (LSS) hopes to launch a DTT service in early 2006 and reach 30.000 households within the first 2 months. LSS has offered satellite services since 1998 according to the article.
It is said that the government is delaying the launch of DTT services and this has prompted King to act.
Original source: Digitag
MultiCarrier(Mauritius Ltd.), MCML where given official notice to begin a pilot trial of DTT in August 2003 and are currently broadcasting a single multiplex. In April 2004 the government gave the green light for a soft launch of DTT planned to take place by August 2004. On the 15th June 2004 the Independent Broadcast Authority invited expressions of interest for private TV operators and content providers for MCML's network.
MCML's, a government owned company, has the sole rights to carry out terrestrial broadcasting in Mauritius at present.
MCML WEBSITE
Item added: 25th August 2005
Mauritius chooses DVB-T
The government of Mauritius chose DVB-T for future digital terrestrial television services in 1999. In 2001 Mauritius Broadcasting (MBC) commissioned TDF to carry out a pilot trial which took place during 2001 and early 2002.
The intention is to make full use of the Interactive capabilities of DVB-T as well as using it to deploy Internet to those areas which are not yet covered.
More detailed information on DTT progress in Mauritius can be found at
http://www.multi-carrier.net
DVB endeavour to ensure that the information provided on these pages is correct be we are unable to guarantee its accuracy. If you have any corrections or additional items please send them to dvb@dvb.org
Last page update: 31st January 2011
