CA headquarters in Westlands, Nairobi. [Photo|The Star]The government intends to ban the importation of digital television decoders currently in the market starting January 1, 2018.According to a statement uploaded in the Communication Authority (CA) website, importation of terrestrial and cable television decoders such as GoTv, Zuku, Startimes, DStv and Bamba will not be permitted following the ban."The importation into Kenya of cable or satellite receivers/decoders that do not comply with the said digital video broadcasting, second generation terrestrial or satellite specifications shall not be permitted from January 1, 2018," reads the statement.However, decoder stocks complying with new standards that are already in the country prior to the said date shall continue to be used but shall eventually be phased out over time to pave way for the second-generation decoders, the Star reports.The ban will see the introduction of decoders that allow internet connectivity through an ethernet port that is not available in the current decoders.Meanwhile, the communications regulator, the Nation reports, has put on hold plans to outsource the assessment of phone service quality saying companies that had expressed interest in the project were asking for too much money.CA has been reviewing the way it measures Quality of Service (QoS) in telecommunication, with the aim of expanding its regulatory overview and bringing aboard an external firm to carry out the study, adds the publication.The regulator had in August indicated that it was in the final stages of picking one of four companies that had expressed interest in the project.

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