ITV

Tag: Meghbela Cable

  • Dispute between Taj TV & Meghbela Cable goes to Mediation Centre under TDSAT order

    Dispute between Taj TV & Meghbela Cable goes to Mediation Centre under TDSAT order

    NEW DELHI: The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) has directed Kolkata based multi system operator (MSO) Meghbela Cable and Broadband Services and Taj Television to get their financial dispute resolved before the Mediation Centre.

     
    Senior representatives of both parties have been asked to appear before the Centre on 23 January.

     
    Meanwhile, Meghbela’s counsel Vineet Bhagat has handed over five cheques aggregating to the sum of Rs 16,45,580 to to Taj TV counsel Upendra Thakur towards payment of earlier dues.

     

    Bhagat stated that the payment was without prejudice to the rights and contention of his client.

     

    Thakur suggested that the matter may be referred to the Mediation Centre where the parties may have a reconciliation of their accounts and further try to resolve their disputes. Bhagat had no objection to the course suggested by Thakur.

     
    TDSAT chairman Justice Aftab Alam and member Kuldip Singh said in their order, “Needless to say that both sides will be represented by officers who are in a position to take decisions on behalf of their respective principals in course of the mediation proceedings.”

     
    When the issue had come up before the Tribunal last year following Meghbela challenging a disconnection notice, it had been suggested to the parties to hold discussions to reconcile the amounts. Taj TV had also been asked not to carry a scroll against the MSO on its channels. However, a joint meeting on 26 December failed to result in any compromise.

  • CVNO model to spread wings in north India by Feb 2015

    CVNO model to spread wings in north India by Feb 2015

    MUMBAI: It was an initiative of Maharashtra Cable Operators Federation (MCOF), thoroughly supported by multi system operator (MSO) BR Cable Network, which helped a new model to make in-roads into the cable TV industry in Mumbai.   

    It was in May 2014 that the first Cable Virtual Network Operator (CVNO) was launched in the city. It was modeled in a way that the last mile owners (LMOs) could borrow the infrastructure from the MSO, seed set top boxes (STBs) and manage their own subscribers. The CVNO model came up as a response from the LMOs to the MSOs, who were feeling disempowered post digitisation.

    While the LMOs across the nation took time to understand the model, seems like CVNO is finally gaining momentum. What started with Mumbai, has already spread its wings in Kolkata, where the LMOs have come together and have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with multi system operator (MSO) Meghbela Cable in order take its infrastructure.

    Now, if sources from the cable TV industry are to be believed, the model could be launched in a couple of more states. “And this will be as early as January-February 2015,” the source says. He further adds that states like Bengaluru, Gujarat, Delhi and even Punjab could follow in the steps of LMOs in Mumbai and Kolkata.

    “Delhi could lead the way in northern India for the CVNO model, and if things work out as planned, Fastway Network too could face some challenges from the new model,” concludes the industry source.
     

     

  • Meghbela Cable to seed 10 lakh STBs in West Bengal by December-end

    Meghbela Cable to seed 10 lakh STBs in West Bengal by December-end

    KOLKATA: Multi-system operator (MSO) Meghbela Cable & Broadband Services aims to seed 10 lakh set-top boxes in areas earmarked for digitisation in phase III and phase IV.

     

    The company has already installed around 1.26 lakh STBs in Kolkata city, where digitisation of cable TV services happened in phase I.

     

    Seeding of 10 lakh STBs will involve an expenditure of Rs 110 crore.

     

    While in areas which fall under DAS III and IV areas like Haldia, Bankura, Arambagh and Hooghly, the company has 10 lakh cable TV subscribers and the majority of them are on the analogue network.

     

    When asked about the source of funding for the 10 lakh STBs, Meghbela Cable Chairman, Indranil Bhattacharya, said 80 per cent of the cost of the STBs would come from the local cable operators (LCOs) who would be collecting the amount from their subscribers. The remaining 20 per cent would be arranged by Meghbela through loans from banks.

     

    “In DAS III and DAS IV areas, we have already started the digitisation process,” said Bhattacharya.

     

    “Our digital customer base is around two lakh now,” said Bhattacharya.

     

    “In phase III and IV, the company is looking at a market share of 8-10 per cent, which is achievable,” industry experts said.

     

    The company has four digital head-ends in different parts of West Bengal with more than 7,500 km of optic fiber and coaxial networks providing cable TV services. “With a plan to expand operations at Durgapur and Purulia, we are looking at two interconnected digital head ends in Kolkata,” he said.

     

    The company’s chairman further said the company apart from providing channel packages to the customers in Kolkata, did sign the revenue sharing agreements with LCOs and has raised the bill as per the packages chosen by subscribers from the month of August.

     

    Talking about the prospects in DAS III and DAS IV areas in the state, he said there is an opportunity to seed 1 crore STBs in the state by December 2014.

     

    Meghbela Digital TV Services currently offers 500 channels. It plans to expand its capacity to 781 channels going ahead.

     

    Meghbela Digital has been equipped with technical capability for providing services in digital form along with features like music on demand (MoD), video on demand (VoD), pay per view (PPV), STB supported gaming and electronic programming guide (EPG), he added.

     

    Talking about the company’s ISP business, he said the company offers services such as broadband, leased line, VPN etc.

     

    Industry experts said since Meghbela Digital has interconnected head-ends, it can easily make its affiliated LCOs serve customers well.