Ghana's Readiness to Pull the Plug on Analogue Transmission in 2016

Ghana under the Ministry of communications set March, 2016, as the new date for the complete migration from analogue to digital broadcasting. This is as a result of the inability of the country to meet the June 17, 2015 global target for Analogue Switch-off according to the GE06 plan. This paper provides a situational analysis of Ghanas preparedness to meet the March 2016 deadline. We discuss and analyze the actions taken by various stakeholders in the migration process, in support of this transition. Based on these analyses, we recommend some measures to further enhance the chances of Ghana to achieve its set deadline successfully. Ghana needs a comprehensive approach to the implementation of digital broadcasting to sustain the take up of digital terrestrial television (DTT) which encompasses a strategic orientation for switch over policy and concrete action plans. These include a strong leadership from Government, close cooperation between the regulator and market parties and adequate information and support to end users.