STATEMENT: Set the Set-Top Boxes free!
25 November 2014
The Right2Know Campaign and the SOS Coalition will be protesting for free Set-Top Boxes outside the Universal Service& Access Agency of South Africa (USAASA) on Wednesday, 26th of November 2014 from 11:00AM – 13:00PM.
The South African government is in the process of migrating free-to-air television broadcasting services from analogue format to digital broadcasting and is committed to completing the process by June 2015.
Across the world there is a big change happening in the technology that brings us television – it’s called Digital Terrestrial Television or DTT. The new ‘digital’ TV method will give better reception quality and can carry many more channels, more efficiently.
Every household will need new equipment called a “set-top box” to continue getting TV after South Africa switches to digital broadcasting, and at some point your current television will stop working. It is estimated that a set-top box will cost between R700 and R750 in every home. Everyone needs to buy one, but this cost is unaffordable to many. Government has said they could give a discount to poorer citizens, but only if you can prove that you are poor through a long applications process.
As the R2K Campaign and the SOS Coalition we demand that Set-Top Boxes should be made available free of charge to all who need them. The government can afford to supply free set-top boxes to everyone. Why in South Africa should the people pay to continue receiving free-to-air TV (something that is supposed to be free)?
We invite the media and members of the public to join us outside the Universal Service & Access Agency of South Africa Office, Thornhill Office Park, 94 Bekker Road, Vorna Valley in Midrand.
The Universal Service & Access Agency of South Africa is the government agency tasked with rolling out a subsidy scheme to poorer households for the set-top boxes. But, you can only get this subsidy if you can prove that you are poor – you have to provide a lot of documents showing that you can’t afford to pay the full price of the set-top box.
Poverty is degrading so why should we still prove it?
Why should we demand what is rightfully ours?
Inequality must be stopped!
We demand free set-top Boxes!
