Government has started distributing digital set-top boxes to marginalised Binga for the district to start receiving digitalised broadcasting transmission.
Government rolled out the digitalisation programme in 2015 in an effort to effect migration from analogue to digital terrestrial transmission.
The International Telecommunications Union had set 17 June 2015 as the deadline but Zimbabwe missed several deadlines with only 18 out of the
targeted 48 digital transmitters now complete.
Binga is one of the districts that have struggled to access local broadcasting and community members are exposed to foreign radio stations mostly from Zambia and Botswana as well as America.
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa on Friday handed 100 set-top boxes to government departments, the local authority, traditional and political leaders in what she said was a step towards closing the information gap.
Minister Mutsvangwa said government was eager to finalise the digitalisation programme to ensure improved access to information for citizens.
The areas prioritized are those that were historically marginalised without television services.
It is envisaged that the migration from analogue to digital will help bridge the information gap between urban and rural communities, especially at a time when communities like Binga lag behind in terms of government programming because of lack of mobile and broadcasting network.
“I am happy to announce that the transmitter constructed at Nkalange here in Binga is now complete and is transmitting signal that will be picked up by the set top boxes that we are going to distribute here today.
“Already there are channels that can be scanned on this set top boxes which include ZBC TV, ZBC News, Yadah TV, Jive TV and Christ TV,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
Binga already got a community radio licence under the Twasumpuka community radio which is meant to promote the BaTonga culture and
business at large.
Minister Mutsvangwa encouraged content producers in Binga and nationwide to come up with local content that can be aired on the various broadcasting platforms as they have a mandate to broadcast 75 percent local content.
Chief Siansali and Siachilaba are some of those that received set-top boxes.
Digital Terrestrial Transmission uses terrestrial towers to transmit the signal much like mobile network operator base stations and signals can be picked up by special antennas and set top boxes, a gadget that enables an ordinary television user to access DTT signals.
