CA Orders GOtv And StarTimes To Allow Access To Free To Air TV Signals On Their Set Top Boxes in 48 hours

The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has ordered two Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) service providers, Star Times and GOtv, to allow access to free to air (FTA) TV signal from other DTT platforms.

The authority says that they have received an outcry from consumers lamenting that some Pay-TV service providers; “have configured their DTT platforms to bar some DTT set-top boxes from receiving free to air (FTA) TV signal from other DTT platforms.”

The consumer watchdog says such implementations are contrary to their regulatory practice as well as preset Act and Regulations which limits Pay-TV providers from blocking access to free channels provided from any available DTT platform.

“all type approved DVB-T2 set-top boxes should be configured to receive all Free To Air channels transmitted from any available DTT platform without any restriction whatsoever,” said the CAK via Twitter.

An example given by the watchdog says that GOtv Kenya set-top boxes have been limited from accessing FTA channels from PANG DTT and vice versa.

The commission has therefore ordered all licensed DTT broadcast signal distributors and DTT pay-TV providers to “unconditionally remove any restrictions and enable reception of all FTA broadcast signals from all other DTT platforms.”

The authority warns of taking additional measures if these providers do not adhere to the order within 48 hours starting March 30.

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