ACCRA – GHANA has cancelled the licence for a Chinese company tasked to ensure the migration from analogue to digital broadcasting following fears of missing the deadline.

The government had earlier contracted Star Communications Network Technology to provide the installation of Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) Network ahead of International Telecommunications Union’s June 27 deadline.

Star Communications Network Technology, which had heavily pinned its hopes of getting funding from both China Exim Bank in order to deliver the results, failed.

This has promoted Minister of Communications, Edward Omane Bomah, to write to the Chinese company – Star Times- advising them of the contract cancellation.

“The Ministry of Communications signed [a] preconditioned agreement in April 2012 with Star Communications Network Television (DTT) Network platform with the clear mutual understanding that funding will be secured from the China Exim Bank through the facilitation of Star Communications Network Technology company,” read the letter.

“All information, guarantees, and support agreements required to be provided by the Ministry of Communications to facilitate access to the…funding were duly for the supply and installation of Digital Terrestrial provided to the China Exim Bank who followed up with due diligence visits to the country,” Boamah said in a letter to the Attorney General.

He said it became clear to the ministry that both Star Times and China Exim bank would not finance Ghana’s migration.

However, Boamah remained optimistic that Ghana would meet the ITU deadline.