Digital TV

It will be part of the country's recently approved digital television initiative.

Cabinet has given the rights to develop the new platform to a local company after a tender process attracted two bids.

Prime Minister Tuila'epa Sailele Malielegaoi says the digital platform will bring television to every corner of Samoa including parts that currently can't receive it.

He says privately owned broadcasters can link to the government's digital platform to improve their coverage.

According to the Regulator Lefaoali'i Unutoa Auelua-Fonoti, after two rounds of advertisements calling for interested companies to tender their Expression of Interest to operate the Digital TV platform, not a single EOI was made.

She said the onus is now with her office to search for an alternative solution. 

“We have found an investor but details at this point in time cannot be released until all the underlying issues to ensure that both parties are satisfied are finalized.”

Cabinet had approved the Digital TV initiative.

Fonoti says the push is to ensure television engineers are in tune with the change come late 2017.

“The most important thing is that this technology is obviously new for them and we know the many changes coming in which is why it is important that they be trained in these new areas,” she said.

“These are new skills taught on how to handle new technology, much different from that of the ones they have always operated with in the past and trained for,” she added.