By Dotun Ibiwoye

NTA-Star TV Network Limited has invested $70 million in the Digital Terrestrial Television, DTT, project and plans to expand its operations across the countrty within the next two years.

NTA-Star TV’s Chief Executive Officer, Sofia Zhang, said this ata briefing in Lagos on the firm’s first anniversary.

Zheng said the money was mainly used for transforming analogue broadcasting to digital and ensuring that Nigeria joins the rest of the digital world by 2012.

Last year, the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, partnered with Startimes of China to establish NTA-Star TV Network Limited to commence DTT operation in the country.

The DTT technology has become a revolution of new frontier for entertainment and access to services for millions of people across the globe, leading to the multiplication of quality channels and contents with high audio-visual quality and interactive services.

More in general, DTT allows the provision of multiple new services and will provide far more efficient use of the available radio frequency spectrum.

Zheng noted that the advent of DTT pioneered by Startimes in Africa has altered the equations in the pay-TV segment of the broadcasting industry regarding technology, pricing and customer service relations.

She added that in the last one year, StarTimes has succeeded in breaking the information barrier that has separated the majority of African population from the rest of the world and in the process expanded the frontier of social enhancement.

According to her: “It is pertinent to note that the mission of StarTimes in Africa is to ensure that every household has access to information, Education and Entertainment. In essence, ensuring that every African family cant afford and enjoy quality entertaining digital TV.”