Digital Switch-Over: FG targets 100 free TV channels for 40 million homes

The Federal Government has said its renewed Digital Switch Over, DSO, project is expected to provide at least 40 million households nationwide with access to up to 100 free-to-air television channels.

Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, Charles Ebuebu, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, on Wednesday in Abuja.

Ebuebu said the revamped DSO strategy had abandoned the previous terrestrial transmission model in favour of a satellite based platform capable of delivering nationwide coverage from inception.

According to him, the initiative is designed to significantly expand access to television services and Nigerian content across the country.

“We are gunning for 40 million TV households. Count 40 million homes at a minimum. That’s what we’re targeting,” he said.

The NBC boss explained that while the previous DSO model, launched in eight states, carried between 24 and 28 channels depending on location, the new satellite platform is already transmitting more than 73 channels nationwide and is targeting 100 channels in the coming months.

He noted that the earlier plan relied heavily on terrestrial broadcasting, which achieved less than a quarter of the country’s coverage despite substantial investments.

“After launching in eight states, it became clear that terrestrial broadcasting had covered less than a quarter of Nigeria, revealing major infrastructure and coverage limitations,” Ebuebu said.

He added that achieving nationwide terrestrial coverage would have required about 160 transmission towers, imported equipment and several years of implementation.

“We, therefore, decided to go by satellite, which covers Nigeria completely from day one,” he stated.

Ebuebu further explained that while the NBC remains the regulator of the broadcasting sector, the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited, NIGCOMSAT, is providing satellite and ground services for the renewed DSO project.

According to him, the platform allows viewers to access television channels from different parts of the country regardless of their location, thereby promoting national integration and expanding access to information.

He described the satellite based DSO initiative as a superior alternative, citing its wider reach, clearer picture quality and greater channel capacity.