GOVERNMENT has availed $2,5 million for the purchase of 100 000 set top boxes as the country gears up for the digitilisation exercise, a senior government official has said.

Set top boxes will enable television sets to receive digital signals when the country migrates from the current analogue to digital transmission.

Information, Media and Broadcasting Services permanent secretary Mr George Charamba said once the set top boxes have been distributed to the public some areas which are digital compliant will start to receive transmission.

“Government has set aside $2,5 million to bring in set top boxes and the first batch of set top boxes will be about 100 000 units. Once we have those in the country and distributed to the viewers then it means we should be able to roll out our digitilisation programme,” he said in an interview in Gweru last week.