ITV

Tag: digital STB

  • Arasu digital STB costs Rs 200, govt alerts subs

    Arasu digital STB costs Rs 200, govt alerts subs

    MUMBAI: Government authorities in Tamil Nadu are announcing the basic rate of installing a new STB following complaints by subscribers of the state-owned Arasu Cable TV Corporation that cable operators are charging them around four times the cost. Tirupur operators are reportedly threatening to disconnect the cable services if subscribers do not pay up.

    Tirupur district collector KS Palanisamy stated in a press release that the government had fixed Rs 200 as charges for installing set-top boxes (STBs), which the cable operators were entitled to receive. “If this is violated, those affected should register complaints at toll free number 1800 425 2911,” the Times of India reported.

    A number of subscribers are complaining that cable operators were charging them as much as Rs 700 for installing the free STBs issued by Arasu Cable (TACTV).

    Authorities had declared that the boxes will be installed from 1 September when DAS (digital broadcasting system) was launched. Cable operators however are reportedly threatening the subscribers that if they did not pay by the first week of October, they would disconnect the service.

    A political activist alleged that the cable operators had been providing around half of cable connections without maintaining records. Some cable operators reportedly asked subscribers to buy STBs sold by a private company run by the cable federation, and not the ones issued by Arasu Cable. Such STBs cost around Rs 1,500-Rs 1,700 through which, operators have claimed, more channels could be accessed as compared to Arasu Cable.

  • 170 TN companies start providing Arasu Net, IPTV plan under way

    MUMBAI: In all 170 Tamil Nadu companies have started providing Arasu internet services in the state. For providing IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) service, a detailed project report was under process.

    Arasu Cable TV had floated expression of interest (EoIs) to become business partners on revenue-sharing basis and about 392 applications were received. At present, 2,577 subscribers use the leased line internet connectivity. Tamil Nadu state government’s proposal to expand internet service connectivity has received a healthy response, PTI reported.

    Directions had been issued to 170 applicants for starting the internet service and about 24,750 households are expected to be provided with the internet service under this initiative.

    The TN government had floated a SPV (special purpose vehicle) ‘Tamil Nadu FiberNet Corporation’ to implement it. Telecom major Vodafone was selected by the Arasu Cable TV Corporation under the open tender process, an IT department policy note said.

    For the sake of cable TV digitisation, a global tender was floated in May for procuring 60 lakh standard and 10 lakh HD (high definition) STBs (set-top boxes). Tenders had been received from various companies and are being scrutinised. The number of cable television connections provided by Arasu rose to 70.52 lakh as of 1 May this year, as compared to 4.94 lakh in 2011.

    Also Read :

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    Arasu gets a month’s extension to go digital

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

    TRAI keeping watch over Arasu, TN MSO extends digital hardware bids deadline

  • Arasu gets a month’s extension to go digital

    NEW DELHI: The Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV Corporation, which had been granted a provisional licence with the condition to digitise completely within three months, has now got an additional months time following a request by the state government.

    The original grant period was scheduled to expire on 17 July 2017, and it is understood that TACTV had already commenced work to acquire digital STBs. However, the principal secretary of the Tamil Nadu government had, in a letter dated 6 June 2017, sought three more months.

    However, in a letter sent to TACTV dated 21 June, the ministry of information and broadcasting ministry has said that the request was considered but it was decided to grant only a month’s extension.

    Consequently, TACTV has been asked to complete the digitisation process by 17 August 2017 failing which the provisional the “registration may be suspended/revoked.”

    Copies of the letter have been sent to the principal secretary of the Tamil Nadu IT Department, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, and the Commissioner/Superintendent of Police in Chennai.

    A TACTV official, who did not want to be named, told indiantelevision.com that Arasu had already put up most of the digital head-ends and would be ready to transmit signals by mid-August.

    However, the official said that the real problem lay in the availability and seeding of seven million digital set top boxes, which may take some more time.