Acer reported its lowest annual sales since 2007 for last year, decreasing 8.4% year on year to NT$329.8 billion ($10.4 billion). The company’s sales in December rallied slightly, rising 1.7% sequentially and 2% YoY to NT$29 billion ($915.7 million).
Reports suggest, however, that a strong performance in the last three quarters of 2014 should help Acer to report a profit for the year, reversing heavy losses recorded during the period from 2011 to 2013.
Acer is currently in a quiet period having submitted a filing for capital injection with Taiwan’s Financial Supervisory Commission. This will remain effective until the filing has been registered with the FSC.
‘SA unlikely to meet digital migration deadline’
While Kenya and Zambia migrate from analogue to a digital broadcasting signal, South Africa continues to face challenges that have resulted in the delay of the country’s digital migration process.
Zambia, for example, has managed to migrate the capital city, Lusaka as part of the first phase towards nationwide migration.
Kenya’s government set 31 December 2014 as the initial date for analogue signal switch-off.
However, a consortium consisting of the Nation Media Group, Royal Media Services and Standard Group sought legal intervention over the deadline, arguing insufficient time to prepare the necessary digital transmission infrastructure.
Despite the recent delays to the country’s digital migration process Kenya is still expected to meet the June 2015 deadline.
In terms of the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) regulations all countries must migrate to a digital broadcasting signal by June 2015.
According to an industry expert South Africa is unlikely to meet the deadline set by the ITU.
Mortimer Hope, director of Spectrum and Public Policy Africa at the GSM Association, explained that a split between the country’s department of communications and the department of telecoms and postal services led to uncertainty as to which department was responsible for digital migration.
“As the deadline is fast approaching…South Africa may miss the ITU deadline,” said Hope.
This will in turn negatively affect the jobs and gross domestic product (GDP) in South Africa, he stated.
Hope told ITWeb Africa the benefits of migrating to a digital signal are very clear.
He said migrating to a digital signal means broadcasters will be able to provide more television services and spectrum will be relocated in order to provide mobile broadband services.
According to research by the GSMA if the digital dividend is licensed to mobile operators by 2015, the next five years will see an increase in GDP in sub-Saharan Africa of over $49 billion.
There will also be increases in jobs, and governments will gain by having increased tax revenue, the research revealed.
It is in South Africa’s interest for digital migration to be completed by June, Hope stated.
He explained that for digital migration to take place in South Africa a few things need to be done but the most important are the set-top boxes that people need to get in their homes.
STBs are what has majorly delayed the process of digital migration in the country, he stated.
“STBs I know they are not on sale as yet although the signal is being broadcast… There is provision for STBs for about 5.5 million homes and I think that is what has delayed the process,” said Hope.
The government was trying to set the standards that would be used and come up with a subsidy scheme through the Universal Services and Access Agency of SA (USAASA) as well as local manufacturing of STBs, he told ITWeb Africa.
“If we are going to meet the June 2015 deadline then local manufacturing is not going to make (it) possible to manufacture all those units locally,” he said.
“There is no capacity to do so.”
On Wednesday ITWeb reported that USAASA claims private sector companies are determined to derail the South African government’s digital migration process, including the issuing of tenders related to STBs.
According to a spokesperson from USAASA some private sector manufacturers don’t want to see tenders for the manufacturing of STBs being issued.
Last year, USAASA put out requests for proposals for the supply of STBs for both satellite and terrestrial coverage, as well as for satellite dishes and terrestrial antennas.
USAASA is part of the department of communications.
‘SA unlikely to meet digital migration deadline’
While Kenya and Zambia migrate from analogue to a digital broadcasting signal, South Africa continues to face challenges that have resulted in the delay of the country’s digital migration process.
Zambia, for example, has managed to migrate the capital city, Lusaka as part of the first phase towards nationwide migration.
Kenya’s government set 31 December 2014 as the initial date for analogue signal switch-off.
However, a consortium consisting of the Nation Media Group, Royal Media Services and Standard Group sought legal intervention over the deadline, arguing insufficient time to prepare the necessary digital transmission infrastructure.
Despite the recent delays to the country’s digital migration process Kenya is still expected to meet the June 2015 deadline.
In terms of the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) regulations all countries must migrate to a digital broadcasting signal by June 2015.
According to an industry expert South Africa is unlikely to meet the deadline set by the ITU.
Mortimer Hope, director of Spectrum and Public Policy Africa at the GSM Association, explained that a split between the country’s department of communications and the department of telecoms and postal services led to uncertainty as to which department was responsible for digital migration.
“As the deadline is fast approaching…South Africa may miss the ITU deadline,” said Hope.
This will in turn negatively affect the jobs and gross domestic product (GDP) in South Africa, he stated.
Hope told ITWeb Africa the benefits of migrating to a digital signal are very clear.
He said migrating to a digital signal means broadcasters will be able to provide more television services and spectrum will be relocated in order to provide mobile broadband services.
According to research by the GSMA if the digital dividend is licensed to mobile operators by 2015, the next five years will see an increase in GDP in sub-Saharan Africa of over $49 billion.
There will also be increases in jobs, and governments will gain by having increased tax revenue, the research revealed.
It is in South Africa’s interest for digital migration to be completed by June, Hope stated.
He explained that for digital migration to take place in South Africa a few things need to be done but the most important are the set-top boxes that people need to get in their homes.
STBs are what has majorly delayed the process of digital migration in the country, he stated.
“STBs I know they are not on sale as yet although the signal is being broadcast… There is provision for STBs for about 5.5 million homes and I think that is what has delayed the process,” said Hope.
The government was trying to set the standards that would be used and come up with a subsidy scheme through the Universal Services and Access Agency of SA (USAASA) as well as local manufacturing of STBs, he told ITWeb Africa.
“If we are going to meet the June 2015 deadline then local manufacturing is not going to make (it) possible to manufacture all those units locally,” he said.
“There is no capacity to do so.”
On Wednesday ITWeb reported that USAASA claims private sector companies are determined to derail the South African government’s digital migration process, including the issuing of tenders related to STBs.
According to a spokesperson from USAASA some private sector manufacturers don’t want to see tenders for the manufacturing of STBs being issued.
Last year, USAASA put out requests for proposals for the supply of STBs for both satellite and terrestrial coverage, as well as for satellite dishes and terrestrial antennas.
USAASA is part of the department of communications.
