Cable TV Services in Urban Areas will be digital from 1st January 2016
Cable TV Services in Urban Areas will be digital from 1st January 2016
The cable TV is one of the
most popular medium of mass entertainment & education. The country has more
than 100 million cable TV subscribers. The digitization of cable TV services is
under way in a phased manner in 4 phases. The road map for digitalisation of
Cable TV services is as under:
|
Phase
|
Areas
|
Sunset date for analog
Cable TV
|
|
Phase –I
|
Four Metros of Delhi,
Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai
|
31.10.2012
|
|
Phase –II
|
Cities with a
population more than one million (38 cities)
|
31.03.2013
|
|
Phase –III
|
All Other Urban areas
(Municipal Corporation/ Municipalities) except cities /towns/areas specified
for corresponding Phase-I and Phase-II.
|
31.12.2015
|
|
Phase –IV
|
Rest of India
|
31.12.2016
|
The consumers of 4 metros & 38 cities who were covered under phase-I
& II of digitalization are getting the benefits of Digital Cable TV
services. As Mentioned above, the cut off date in respect of phase-III, which
covers remaining urban areas, is 31st December 2015, after
which no analog signal transmission or re-transmission of TV channels is
permitted by the Law. The list of urban areas, covered under phase-III of
digitalisation, is available on the website of the Ministry of Information
& Broadcasting (www.mib.nic.in).
The digital cable TV services (DAS) have distinct advantages over analog
cable TV services as it can carry large number of TV channels with better
picture quality and sound for all the channels. The consumer can choose
channels of their choice and accordingly budget their expanses. For availing
the Digital Cable TV Services, a consumer is required to install a set top box
at his/her premises. The STBs can be availed on rental/hire-purchase/outright
purchase basis. The consumer has an option to choose any scheme out of many
offered by the service provider.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has been taking steps for
creating awareness amongst consumers and stakeholders by holding workshops and
Consumer outreach programmes, about the implementation of DAS. TRAI held a
meeting with major stakeholders of the broadcasting and cable TV sector on 1st December
2015 to take the stock of the situation at the ground regarding implementation
of DAS in phase III areas. TRAI noted that, progress of seeding STBs in DAS
Phase-III notified areas is satisfactory and good numbers of customers are
getting the benefits of Digitalisation. The Broadcasters, DTH operators and
MSOs were asked to carryout exhaustive consumer awareness programmes about
digitisation of cable TV services so that remaining urban areas customers are
able to install STBs before cut off date i.e. 31st December
2015.. Broadcasters of TV channels have been asked to send advance intimation,
by 7th December 2015, to the cable operators about non
availability of TV channels for retransmission in analogue mode to the
consumers from 1st January 2016.
Consumers of urban areas who are still receiving cable TV services without
STB are advised to avail and install STBs before cut off date in order to
receive uninterrupted TV services.
Post a Comment