The National Communications Authority (NCA) has opened applications for eligible companies registered in Ghana to apply for Authorisations to establish, maintain and operate a Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB+) Multiplex Service in Ghana.
A statement from the NCA said the Authority intends to issue just one (1) Authorisation for DAB+ Multiplex Service. This operator will have a 15-year licensing period, which include a 10-year exclusivity period for the provision of DAB multiplex services across the country.
So for the 10-year exclusivity period, all FM stations wanting to get on the DAB platform will have to apply to that operator.
Per the Selection and Award Procedure Document, the qualifying operator will do the following:
- Buy back NCA’s transmission infrastructure at Adjangote in the Greater Accra Region and and in Asokwa and Jamasi in the Ashanti Region.
- Expand the capacity of the existing network with the addition of ensembles to
accommodate more stations. - Extend the coverage of the service to economically viable metropolitan and municipal
areas. - Provide transmission services for DAB Programme Channel Authorisation holders
authorised by the NCA. - Provide information on how they intend to fulfill the above obligations.
It would be recalled that when government introduced a new broadcasting policy that limited FM stations to a 45 kilometre radius in terms of reach, lots of FM license holders, led by the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) picked armed against government for misleading them to invest into equipment for farther reach, only to truncate their reach to 45km.
So government, in August, 2023, introduced a DAB platform to enable FM stations reach nationwide directly via digital signals. 18 FM stations were the selected for a pilot together with K-NET, the Ghanaian broadcasting technology company that built the DAB platform.
According to the NCA, successful pilot established the quality aspects of DAB as well as its spectrum efficiency, but what is currently lacking is the large scale acquisition of DAB receivers by audiences in Ghana to establish DAB as a viable platform for new sound broadcasters.
“The NCA reckons that a commercial operation of the DAB infrastructure will provide the certainty needed to drive growth in the receiver market. Further, it will establish the basis to expand the infrastructure to enable the authorization of new stations on the DAB platform,” the document said.
The NCA is therefore calling on local entities to put in their applications, including Certificate of Incorporation and Company Regulations from the Office of the Registrar of Companies as well as up-to-date Tax and SSNIT Clearance Certificates (where applicable), plus a non-refundable application fee of GHS38,500 payable by Bankers Draft to the National Communications Authority.
“All applications duly sealed are to be addressed to the The Director General, National Communications Authority, NCA Tower, No. 6 Airport City, Accra, and be submitted at the Director General’s Secretariat,” the statement added.
It then directed prospective applicants to download a copy of the Selection and Award Procedure Document here, on or before 5pm on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, after which applications shall no longer be received.
The statement said those seeking for further clarification should direct their request in writing to the DIRECTOR GENERAL, NATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS AUTHORITY, on or before 5pm on November 5, 2024, and an electronic copy should be sent to dabapplications@nca.org.gh.
It then advised companies that may have already made applications to the Authority for DAB+ authorization to reapply in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Selection and Award Procedure Document.
