MHLANTLA J [9] The procurement of STBs began in 2015 and between 2016 and 2019, the Universal Service and Access Agency of South Africa (USAASA) procured 1.45 million STBs.14 [10] On 11 February 2021, and during the State of the Nation Address, the President of the Republic of South Africa announced that digital migration would be completed by the end of March 2022. On 29 September 2021, Cabinet approved the Minister’s analogue switch-off implementation plan, in terms of which the analogue switch-off would occur by the end of March 2022. It was in accordance with this plan that the Minister eventually determined the analogue switch-off date to be 31 March 2022.15 [11] On 5 October 2021, for the first time, the Minister announced a deadline for the STB registration, which was 31 October 2021. For those who met the deadline, the STBs would be installed by the analogue switch-off date. However, for all those who registered after 31 October 2021, the STBs would be installed three to six months after analogue switch-off. This meant that those who failed to register by 31 October 2021 or registered thereafter would be disconnected from receiving analogue transmission. As a result, their analogue television sets would no longer be operational and they would not receive television services during that period. [12] In December 2021, ICASA gave notice of its intention to hold an auction of portions of the broadcasting spectrum, referred to as the “digital dividend”. In March 2022, ICASA proceeded with the auction of the spectrum. ICASA provisionally assigned portions of the digital spectrum to each successful bidder, including Vodacom. The provisional assignment ends on 30 June 2022 and on 1 July 2022, the permanent spectrum regimes will commence. 14 USAASA is a state-owned entity established in terms of section 80 of the Electronic Communications Act 1 of 2014 (ECA) whose mandate is to ensure universal access to information and communications technology services. 15 The analogue switch-off date was published in the Government Gazette, GN 1804 GG 45984, 28 February 2022. 8