Small cable operators hurt in digitization process
Updated: Nov 07, 2013 02:35:24pm
New Delhi, Nov 7 (KNN) Small scale cable operators who are involved in installing Digital Address System (DAS) as part of Phase III in all urban areas are experiencing difficulties owing to the lengthy process of setting up a digital head, delay in obtaining licence for project registration and other such norms.
“It takes minimum 18 months to set-up a digital head end and to start with one requires license for project registration with customs and getting permissions to lay optical fiber from National highway authority, state PWD and different municipal corporations,” said Director of Muzaffarnagar based Dayachand Engineering Industries Pvt Ltd, Naveen Jain.
“This deliberate delay on the part of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) is hurting the interest of small players and helping the big players who got licenses in earlier phases of Direct to Home (DTH) services,” he added.
Jain who was past treasurer of the Federation of Indian Micro & Small and Medium Associations (FISME) had earlier written to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting under RTI in this regard.
The response stated that MIB had issued 140 licenses for Phase 1 and II. They had received 56 applications for phase II and neither a single license had been issued nor denied. The last date of completion of phase-III was 30 Sept-2014.
The Government of India passed an ordinance mandating the digitization of cable services. Digitization will empower consumers to an increased number of channels, high quality viewing and sound quality. Viewers will be able to access digital services only through a set top box (STB).
In phase one of the digitization process, Mumbai and Delhi were completely digitized as per the deadline of October 31, 2012, while Kolkata and Chennai are still in the process. Phase II involved digitization of 38 cities on March 31, 2013.
As part of Phase III, all the urban areas in India were to go digital by September 30, 2014; and phase IV indicated digitization of complete India by December 31, 2014.
Every Household in India must have a Digital Set Top Box post these deadlines to be able to watch Satellite TV.
TV viewing services in India is currently provided mainly by three mediums - Analogue Cable Services, Digital Cable Services and Digital DTH Services.
In existence in India for more than two decades, analogue cable services have limited number of channels and do not have extra features and value added services.
Digital DTH services in India have been started less than a decade back and are gaining popularity and acceptance in India mainly because of their superior picture and sound quality. (KNN/ES)
“It takes minimum 18 months to set-up a digital head end and to start with one requires license for project registration with customs and getting permissions to lay optical fiber from National highway authority, state PWD and different municipal corporations,” said Director of Muzaffarnagar based Dayachand Engineering Industries Pvt Ltd, Naveen Jain.
“This deliberate delay on the part of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) is hurting the interest of small players and helping the big players who got licenses in earlier phases of Direct to Home (DTH) services,” he added.
Jain who was past treasurer of the Federation of Indian Micro & Small and Medium Associations (FISME) had earlier written to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting under RTI in this regard.
The response stated that MIB had issued 140 licenses for Phase 1 and II. They had received 56 applications for phase II and neither a single license had been issued nor denied. The last date of completion of phase-III was 30 Sept-2014.
The Government of India passed an ordinance mandating the digitization of cable services. Digitization will empower consumers to an increased number of channels, high quality viewing and sound quality. Viewers will be able to access digital services only through a set top box (STB).
In phase one of the digitization process, Mumbai and Delhi were completely digitized as per the deadline of October 31, 2012, while Kolkata and Chennai are still in the process. Phase II involved digitization of 38 cities on March 31, 2013.
As part of Phase III, all the urban areas in India were to go digital by September 30, 2014; and phase IV indicated digitization of complete India by December 31, 2014.
Every Household in India must have a Digital Set Top Box post these deadlines to be able to watch Satellite TV.
TV viewing services in India is currently provided mainly by three mediums - Analogue Cable Services, Digital Cable Services and Digital DTH Services.
In existence in India for more than two decades, analogue cable services have limited number of channels and do not have extra features and value added services.
Digital DTH services in India have been started less than a decade back and are gaining popularity and acceptance in India mainly because of their superior picture and sound quality. (KNN/ES)
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