Troubled national signal distributor Sentech remains secretive about whether or not it's been able to raise the R917 million required to cover the cost of the broadcast dual illumination period over the next three years. According to timeframes set out by Sentech, dual illumination, which will see the country broadcasting both analogue and new digital terrestrial TV (DTTV) signals, should commence on 1 November. By then, South Africa must have at least 56 percent of the country digital ready, with coverage growing to 78 percent by 2009 and 92 percent by 2010.

In March earlier this year, there was no sign of Sentech meeting its November start date, with CEO Sebiletso Mokone-Matabane claiming the company had submitted a proposal for the funding for dual illumination to the Department of Communications, but that it had not received a response from government. Broadcasters had already indicated that they couldn't cover the costs of the three-year transmission of both analogue and digital signals during this process.