Johan Raath, Sentech's manager in the COO's office, says SA's analogue television broadcasting infrastructure has been around since 1976, and has become too costly to maintain.

Sentech therefore requested capital from government to upgrade and digitize the television broadcast network.

"Apart from cost, one of the key reasons the infrastructure needs to be upgraded is to enable the country to meet its requirements in broadcasting the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup tournament to the rest of the world," he says.

SA must be fully prepared to meet the needs and expectations of all foreign broadcasters. Raath says it is therefore imperative that all infrastructure is upgraded and available by 2010.

To meet this challenge, urgent attention will be given to policy frameworks, licensing conditions and funding to ensure that very strict time lines are met, he says.