Downtown Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. Photo: Wikimedia.

Eutelsat Communications announced a multi-year agreement for satellite capacity with Societe Burkinabe de Telediffusion (SBT), the public agency deploying Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) channels across Burkina Faso. According to SBT, the new contract is a major step in the drive to accelerate analogue switch-off in the country.

Capacity leased on Eutelsat 3B already delivers approximately 20 channels to 35 digital terrestrial transmitting towers deployed throughout Burkina Faso, enabling homes equipped with a digital decoder and a compatible TV set to access digital content.

In addition to favoring Eutelsat 3B for nationwide Free-to-Air (FTA) broadcasting, SBT has partnered with public broadcaster RTB to expand availability of public service content to Burkinabe residents and embassies in a broader footprint. Capacity on Eutelsat 16A is extending access to RTB in Africa and on Eutelsat 9B in Europe.

“Our objective is to ensure DTT delivery to 98 percent of our territory by the end of 2017,” said SBT General Manager Kadidia Savadogo.