Gambia will switch from analogue terrestrial television to digital television broadcasting, the Ministry of Information Communication and Infrastructure (MOICI) has announced. 

The ministry made the announcement during a press conference at the MOICI office on Thursday.

Amadou Nyang, the director of Information Communication and Technology (ICT) at the ministry said “Switching from analogue television to digital terrestrial television is an exercise that the government of The Gambia is taking very seriously as the country stands to benefit immeasurably from this project.”

Mr Nyang added that the government through Digital Gambia Ltd (DGL) a subsidiary of the Gambia Radio & Television Services (GRTS) and EXCAF Gambia Ltd will be the implementing partners of this landmark project set to redefine the Gambia’s digital landscape.

The director general of the state broadcaster GRTS Abdou Touray said the country is migrating to digital to offer free spectrum for broadband wireless services. 

Mr. Touray said the digital terrestrial transmission (DTT) in the country will usher in the possibility to have more channels to accommodate new television stations and provide better programmes with greater picture quality. 

“Going digital will improve the country in education development, information dissemination, job creation as well as create new investment opportunities.”

PURA’s director of Information Communication Technology Nicholas Jatta said with digital broadcasting many television stations in the Gambia will have the opportunity to use many channels in order to provide better services delivery to the Gambian people.

The managing director of EXCAF Gambia, the company partnering with the government to run the digital broadcasting transmission, Faly Kante, thanked the government of The Gambia through the Ministry of Information, Communication Infrastructure for giving them the opportunity to provide better services for the Gambian people.