ITV

Tag: DAS implementation

  • Including Arasu, total number of MSOs goes up to 1376, to ensure DAS implementation

    NEW DELHI: Following the decision of the government to deem all provisional multi-system operators as having regular licence and giving a provisional licence to the Tamil Nadu Arasu TV Corporation, the total number of MSOs has gone up to 1376.

    Thus, TACTV is the only MSO on the provisional list and all the others are deemed to have a permanent licence for ten years.

    Thus there has been increase of 194 MSOs in the country since the end of February as the Information and Broadcasting Ministry had given registration to 1182 MSOs by the end of February 2017 which included 230 which had valid ten-year licences.

    But faced with just less than one month to go before total switch-off of analogue signals, the Government had on 6 March 2017 decided to treat all MSOs as permanent but with condition that the period of ten years commences from the date they got registered as provisional MSOs.

    However, if the continuation of registration of any MSO is at any time found to be or considered detrimental to the security of the State then the registration so granted is liable to be cancelled/suspended, the order placed on the Ministry website mib.nic.in specified.
    All other terms and conditions depicted in the provisional registration letter(s) wlll continue to apply.

    Earlier on 27 January.2017, it had been decided that all registered MSOs are free to operate in any part of the country, irrespective of registration for specified DAS notified areas granted by this Ministry.

    However, they have to submit the details of Headend, SMS, subscribers list and a self-certificate that they are carrying all the mandatory TV Channels, within six months from date of issuance of MSO registration, to the Ministry, failing which the MSO registration is liable to cancelled/suspended.

    Hence, all deemed regular registered MSOs also are required to submit the details to the Ministry within six months.

    The Tamil Nadu-Government-run TACTV was granted provisional licence on 18 April 2017 to operate as a MSO in the state on condition that it switches off analogue signals in the entire state within three months.

    The Ministry had told indiantelevision.com that it had been made clear that the provisional licence was subject to the Centre taking a final decision on the recommendation of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India that no government owned body should be permitted in the field of running or distributing television channels.  TRAI had in 2008, 2012 and 2014 held that state governments and political parties should not be permitted to own TV channels or distribution channels.

    In Tamil Nadu where there is a court stay in operation since Phase I, TACTV had warned MSOs and LCOs against switching off analogue signals anywhere in the state after 31 March 2017.

    The sources said that Arasu had been granted provisional licence in 2006 at the time of the Conditional Access System on certain conditions based on the TRAI report but this had not been renewed when Digital Addressable System came into force.

    Also Read:

    Faced with deadline, MIB says all provisional MSOs will be deemed regular

    Arasu gets provisional MSO licence subject to analogue switch-off in three months

  • TRAI pulls up broadcasters, MSOs on DAS implementation

    TRAI pulls up broadcasters, MSOs on DAS implementation

    NEW DELHI: Broadcasters were taken to task for their failure to file reports relating to subscribers while multi-system operators (MSOs) were rapped for failure to meet their commitments relating to billing in two separate meetings held with senior officials of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) held in the first fortnight of this month.
     
    The meeting, with selected broadcasters earlier this month, also saw TRAI officials asking the broadcasters about agreements with MSOs under the reference interconnect offer (RIO).
     
    Broadcasters were also urged to step up awareness among subscribers in phase III and phase IV so that the transition to digital addressable system (DAS) is smooth.
     
    TRAI also urged broadcasters to highlight problems faced by them in the switch-over to DAS and issues relating to connectivity.
     
    In the meeting with MSOs earlier this week, problems relating to issuance of licences were also taken up.
     
    The MSOs were also asked to provide a list of areas not reached by them, an issue that had also been raised at the last DAS Task Force meeting.
     
    A TRAI official told Indiantelevision.com that issues relating to set top boxes were not taken up as they are being dealt with directly by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

     

  • TRAI gives final deadline for filling CAFs, SMS

    TRAI gives final deadline for filling CAFs, SMS

    New Delhi: Multi System Operators (MSOs) can now collect duly filled consumer application forms (CAFs), along with choice of channels and services and entry of complete details in their subscriber management systems (SMS) in 38 cities covered under phase-II of DAS implementation, by 15 November.

    Extending the deadline, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) said ‘this is the last and final extension.’ The earlier deadline set by TRAI was 20 September. 

    A meeting was held in TRAI with leading MSOs on 25 September to review the progress in this regard. The authority observed that there is still substantial pendency on this account. The MSOs cited the enormity and complexity of the task involved as the prime reason for the pendency and requested for an extension in the time -line for completion of the task. 

    The extension is being given to achieve full coverage by 15 November, and ‘with a view to minimise consumer inconvenience that could result from MSOs disconnecting set top boxes immediately’.

    Consumers were requested by TRAI to cooperate and submit the CAFs, complete in all respect, to the respective cable operator/ MSOs in accordance with the revised deadline of 15 November, as ‘this is truly the very last opportunity’.

    In event of failure to do so, MSOs will have no option but to switch off the signal to those consumers who have not submitted their CAF, otherwise such MSOs would be in breach of the law.