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Tag: Manthan Broadband Services

  • TDSAT asks MSM not to disconnect signals to Manthan if dues paid

    TDSAT asks MSM not to disconnect signals to Manthan if dues paid

     
    NEW DELHI: MSM Media Distribution Pvt. Ltd has been directed not to disconnect the signals to Manthan Broadband Services Pvt. Ltd if the latter makes payments under a formula worked out by the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT).
                                   
    TDSAT asked Manthan to make the payment to the respondent for the outstanding dues as under: 
    (a) Rs 1.5 crore by 25 December
    (b) Rs 1.5 crore – 15 days thereafter
    (c) The balance amount after adjusting TDS amount by 31 January, 2016. 
     
    TDSAT members Kuldip Singh and B B Srivastava in their judgment said in terms of the regulations, three months period after expiry of the existing agreement is permitted to enable the parties to negotiate and arrive at a fresh agreement. During this period, the terms of the old agreement are applicable but when the fresh agreement is signed, the same have to abide by the terms of the new agreement. 
     
    Since the parties have not been able to come to any agreement even after three months, the Tribunal felt that Manthan must clear the outstanding amount of subscription dues as per old agreement if it wishes to continue with the signals of MSM. 
     
    With regard to the credit period, the Tribunal noted that not only is the agreement not in subsistence but dues have also accumulated over a period of time. 
     
    Further, since the subscription fee and placement charges are governed by two separate agreements, which are not even subsisting as on date, the Tribunal said Manthan cannot insist on adjustment of placement fees against the dues of license fee. 
     
     
    It had been submitted during the hearing that in terms of the notices issued under regulation 6(i) of DAS Regulations 2012, Manthan has to pay MSM for subscription fees as under: 
    MSM O/s for Kolkata as per notice dated 29.10.2015 Rs 4,04,53,536/- 
    MSM O/s for Ranchi as per notice dated 5.11.2015 Rs 55,60,609/- 
    TV Today O/s for Ranchi as per notice dated 5.11.2015 Rs 1,12,395/-
    TV Today O/s for Kolkata as per invoice dated 1.10.2015 Rs 8,20,680/-
     
    Manthan counsel Navin Chawla submitted that under the understanding between the parties, his client was getting a credit period of two months for payment of subscription dues. He further submitted that under the invoices issued by Manthan, MSM owes a sum of Rs 4.73 crore as on October 2015 towards placement charges of the channels of the respondent. After netting off the placement charges, Chawla had claimed that it was MSM who had to pay an amount of Rs 1.58 crore to Manthan. 
     
    Chawla referred to minutes of meeting between the parties held on 11 – 13 August in which MSM admitted placement charges of Rs 2.97 crore till July, 2015. However, MSM counsel Ramji Srinivasan submitted that there is no netting off clause in the subscription agreement for adjusting subscription fees against placement charges and in any case the agreement for placement had expired on 31 March, 2015 and therefore, Manthan cannot claim any placement charges in the absence of any such agreement. He further submitted that the minutes of meeting of August was part of a negotiation process and cannot be relied upon in the absence of a concluded agreement. 
     
    The Tribunal noted that the subscription agreement between the parties expired on 31 March, 2015 by efflux of time and no fresh agreement has been signed till date. 
  • TDSAT directs Manthan Broadband to pay dues to IndiaCast

    TDSAT directs Manthan Broadband to pay dues to IndiaCast

    MUMBAI: The Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) has directed Kolkata based multi system operator (MSO) Manthan Broadband Services to cough up dues worth Rs 2.3 crore to IndiaCast. The order comes after the content aggregator threatened to disconnect its signals failing payment from the petitioner’s (Manthan) side of its monthly subscription fees.

     

    Manthan had admitted to dues of Rs 2.18 crore while IndiaCast claimed it to be Rs 5.07 crore. Adjusting the placement fees, TDSAT has settled it at Rs 2.3 crore. Manthan has been ordered to pay Rs 80 lakh by 30 May while the balance of the Rs 2.3 crore has to be given in two parts on 20 June and 15 July. It will also have to keep paying its monthly fees apart from its dues.

     

    Until further orders come, the monthly subscription fee shall be given after adjusting the placement fees. However, the Tribunal states that by adjusting this, it is not endorsing Manthan’s demand for placement fees or any such in the fresh agreement as well.

     

    Apart from this, Manthan has been directed to carry ETV News Bangla channel apart from the other channels in the agreement. ETV News Bangla was launched recently in March 2014.

     

    However, if Manthan defaults in the payment of dues or subscription fees, IndiaCast is free to disconnect its signals to the former without any notice or order from TDSAT.

     

    The next date of hearing has been set to 21 July and the parties have been asked to negotiate and come up with a fresh agreement starting from 1 April.

  • After Manthan, SitiCable tries to poach DTH customers

    After Manthan, SitiCable tries to poach DTH customers

    KOLKATA: Sometime back, city-headquartered Manthan Broadband Services announced a scheme to poach Dish TV customers after the DTH provider created sub-brand ‘Zing’ to offer STBs free of cost and target regional markets.

     

    Now, SitiCable Network is all set to follow in Manthan’s footsteps with an exchange scheme for DTH customers so they can opt for SitiCable services without having to pay anything for STBs as well as their installation in DAS I and II areas.

     

    According to Kolkata director Suresh Sethiya, the scheme called ‘Value for Money’ will be launched next month. Sethiya further informed that SitiCable is aiming to install another 3 lakh STBs in West Bengal by the end of April. “Customers choosing SitiCable services instead of their DTH service providers will also have the option of going for channel packages that regular customers get and this is a value for money proposition for them,” he added.

     

    How will SitiCable gain through the scheme? “Well, the scheme is to increase our market presence and not to increase our topline or bottomline. We want to be market leaders. And once we are able to convert DTH customers to our customers, we will think of monetizing it,” answered Sethiya.

     

    On the installation of an additional 3 lakh STBs, he said that the company was eager to increase its penetration in the state as cable TV digitisation was in full swing across the eastern region. “We would always try to retain its number one position here,” he said. “We are upbeat about our penetration and growth in West Bengal. In North Bengal too, we are looking at some acquisition and forming a joint venture with local partners.”

     

    While West Bengal is one of the most important markets for SitiCable in the eastern region, the company also has a good presence in Patna, Odisha and Jharkhand. A cable analyst said on the condition of anonymity, “The eastern region accounts for around 40 per cent of the revenue to SitiCable and is one of the most important markets for the company.”

     

    The company is also present in six out of the seven north-eastern states. Commenting on Manthan’s scheme and now SitiCable, the cable analyst said, “In the coming months, we expect more such announcements by players of different categories to poach each others’ business and clients.”

  • MSOs ask LCOs to collect CAFs from remaining cable homes in Kolkata

    MSOs ask LCOs to collect CAFs from remaining cable homes in Kolkata

    KOLKATA: That the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has asked MSOs in Kolkata to start gross (consumer) billing from 15 December, 2013, indiantelevision.com had already reported. Word just in is that MSOs in the Kolkata Municipal Area (KMA) have requested local cable operators (LCOs) to expedite the process of collecting Consumer Application Forms (CAF) and channel package details from the remaining five per cent of nearly 30 lakh cable TV homes in the city.

     

    “We are asking the LCOs to cooperate and collect the remaining five per cent CAF so that we can start generating accurate bills against their names,” said SitiCable Network director Suresh Sethia, adding that the region had already collected 95-97 per cent CAF. 

     

    Manthan Broadband Services director Sudip Ghosh informed that apart from taking details from consumers in the prescribed handwritten format, “MSOs have also created a system in their servers, where LCOs could send CAF details to further advance the process of DAS.”

     

    Meanwhile, an official from GTPL-KCBPL said the company had got CAF and SAF details of only over five lakh customers out of the seven lakh active set top boxes (STBs). “Unless we get the CAF and SAF details, we cannot generate bills in the names of the customers,” he remarked. “But we will try to complete the process for the remaining 2 lakh customers and give bills to them in the next one or two months,” he added after a pause.

     

    According to few industry sources, while players like SitiCable and Manthan have said they have achieved 100 per cent CAF rate, it is possible they haven’t accounted for situations where certain households have two set top boxes and the consumers haven’t gone through the CAF process or homes that have been closed after the residents left the city and so on. Still, other sources questioned how MSOs can start the billing process when they haven’t yet started the package.

  • Around 1.80 lakh defaulters in Kolkata face TV blackout as of 26 August

    KOLKATA: With the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) pressuring service providers in Kolkata to disconnect the television connections of customers for not submitting the subscriber application forms, multiple system operators, more than 1.80 lakh customers have experienced a black out till Monday evening.

     

    While talking about the snapping of the connection which started from Saturday morning, Den Networks, Hathway Cable and Datacom and Manthan Broadband Services snapped the maximum number of cable connections, out of 80,000 which were disconnected on August 24.

     

    Also, with just around 45 days remaining for the grand festival of Durga Puja, some cable operators are relaxed and have assured the customers that they can send the details after the festival is over, said a customer, using the service of one of the players, which has maximum penetration in KM area.

     

    Industry sources said: “The consumer application forms (CAF) of these MSOs were not ready as compared to other players like SitiCable. As a result, the three MSOs had to switch off the connection,” adding that the MSO will continue to switch-off few connections at a time in the coming days to guard against law-and-order problem.

     

    As per the TRAI mandate, the MSOs were supposed to switch-off the cable connections of those customers, who had not filled-up the CAFs in Kolkata post midnight of 23 August.

     

    Committee of the Association of Cable Operators, Cable Operators Digitalisation convener Swapan Chowdhury said the MSOs have been asked by the TRAI to provide details of TV connections running illegally in the KM area.

     

    Siticable that has disconnected more than 90,000 subscribers till Monday evening, has seen a good response from customers. “We are not switching off the connections of CAF non compliance customers at a go. We are doing it in small numbers – say 15,000,” expounded Siticable director (Kolkata) Suresh Sethia.

     

    Manthan Broadband Services which has installed 6.5 lakh to seven lakh set top boxes, had alone disconnected around 30,000 connections on Saturday, said Manthan Broadband Services director Sudip Ghosh.

     

    “Our purpose is not to switch-off the connection. But after snapping say four connections, more than 100 customers have approached from the vicinity,” he added.
    Seeing the fast response from the customers, it can be easily assumed that in the KM DAS area, CAFs rate is likely to be 70 per cent to 80 per cent in next six days – seven days, Ghosh predicted.

     

    Den Networks and Hathway Cable and Datacom could not be asked specifically about the connections snapped by them in KM area.

     

    Cable Shilpa Bachao Committee convener Mrinal Chatterjee said instead of disconnecting the TV sets, TRAI should penalise the MSOs and not the customers by asking MSOs to switch off the connection; as the CAFs were not given to the customers on time.

     

    With no official extension notice from the regulatory body, will Kolkata see deactivation of set-top boxes of more and more defaulters at this juncture? Watch this space for the latest updates.

  • Kolkata MSOs racing against time to meet DAS deadline

    Kolkata MSOs racing against time to meet DAS deadline

    KOLKATA: Multi System Operators (MSOs) and local cable operators (LCOs) in Kolkata are busy collecting the consumer application forms (CAF) and feeding in details for the complete implementation of the Digital Addressable System (DAS).

    “There’s a huge increase in workload, and everything has to be collected quicker and reported quicker,” says a Kolkata headquartered MSO. While a LOC says: “It’s very tiring to go home and get called back in again, and go home and get called back in again for clarifications and further clarifications.”

    With the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) confirming last week that it will strictly adhere to the 23 August deadline for implementation of subscriber management system (SMS) rollout in Kolkata, the MSOs and cable operators are collecting the know your client (KYC) form details and subscribers’ choice of channels swiftly and are racing against time to feed the data into their systems day and night.

    So far 30-35 per cent of the subscriber management system (SMS) data of cable consumers in Kolkata is completed as per the TRAI data.

    SitiCable which controls a substantial share of cable TV users in Kolkata said the call centers would update the details overnight. “We will work overnight and plan to achieve as much of the work before the deadline,” said SitiCable (Kolkata) director Suresh Sethia.

    SitiCable has set up around 11.5 lakh digital addressable systems (DAS) here.

    While for Manthan Broadband Services there are no holidays and Sundays. “We have 6.5 lakh to seven lakh subscribers. The CAF rate was around 25 per cent for us last week,” said Manthan Broadband Services director Sudip Ghosh.

    “The operators connected with Manthan are working 10 times faster than before,” added Ghosh.
    While Manthan Broadband Services director Gurmeet Singh, said: “With the regulation, we have to collect 100 per cent details. We have no other choice than asking the operators to work and achieve the target.”

    DEN Networks CEO SN Sharma said the CAF collection rate for it’s close to three lakh STBs in Kolkata is nearly 40 per cent-45 per cent.

    “Before the deadline, we aim to achieve 85 per cent -90 per cent work,” said Sharma with assurance.

    “The operators are so lethargic that the customers have not yet got the forms and we are getting calls from frantic TV viewers now,” said a MSO. “We have asked them to download the form from the website and fill it up, scan and mail it to us if possible so that their TV screens do not go blank,” he added.

    With just five days in hand to meet the switch-off date, other MSOs and LCOs said that they have deployed more personnel on shift and temporary basis.

    “Consumer Application Form (CAF) collection rate is expected to be around 70 per cent-75 per cent altogether in Kolkata by 23 August,” assumes Sethia.

    “Achieving 100 per cent target by 23 August is next to impossible. Kolkata will miss the deadline,” said Association of Cable Operators, Cable Operators Digitalisation Committee convener Swapan Chowdhury. “But the cable TV industry people are toiling hard now,” he expounded.

    On the other hand industry sources on the condition of anonymity said it is not possible to give authentic data in just five days. “Filling up more than 18 lakh CAFs is not a matter of joke. The LCO may tick mark the preference of the users themselves,” he said. “For not providing genuine information, the MSOs may face dreadful consequences,” he hinted.

    If around 5,000 local cable operators and 14 MSOs, which provide service in DAS areas do not abide by the deadline of submitting the CAFs, TRAI may file a case against any MSO, concluded a source.

    With the clock ticking and TRAI not willing to give any leeway, the MSOs and LCOs have their work cut out.