ITV

Tag: MSO Licence

  • Registered MSOs for DAS areas touch 275 mark; cancellations total 29

    Registered MSOs for DAS areas touch 275 mark; cancellations total 29

    NEW DELHI: With less than six months for the completion of Phase III of Digital Addressable System (DAS) for cable television, the number of multi system operators (MSOs) who have been given permanent registration for a period of ten years is now 215.

     

    In addition, a total of 60 MSOs have been given provisional registration, while 29 MSOs have had their licences cancelled or their files have been closed.

     

    The number of MSOs getting permanent licences has gone up sizably since the list issued on 22 June put this figure at 191.

     

    While a majority of MSOs including Kal Cables have had their licences cancelled following the Home Ministry denying security clearance, some have been cancelled for non-operation. These include only four, which were cancelled in 2015.

     

    MSOs given permanent registration pan India after 22 June include Goldy Diginet of Rajasthan, Engineer’s Resource Associates India of Madhya Pradesh, Multireach Media of Kolkata, SHR Digital Networks of Delhi and Siti Cable Network Limited of Noida.

     

    The others are as follows: E-Cable Vision of Chhatisgarh to cover the Districts of Dhamtari, Charama, Kanker, Keskal, Konda Goan, Jagdalpur, Gidam, Dantewada, Kirndul, Nagarnar, Balod, Dalli Rajraha, Bhanupartapur, Mahasamund, Kurud and Nagri under Phase-lll & lV; Manair Digital Entertainment Networks for Telengana; Narmada Cable Network for Kareli and Narsinghpur Tehsils in Madhya Pradesh, Linkmen Services for West Bengal; Desh Entertainment for West Bengal Under Phase III & IV; Sai Digital Services for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana under Phase lll and lV; INSAT Cable Network for Sitara, Pune, Sangli, Solapur and Raigard/Sindu Durg Districts in Maharashtra; Mahapatra Dooradarshan Cable Network System for Ganjam District of Odisha; Raj Cable Network for Anuppur, Shahdol and Umaria District in Madhya Pradesh and Koria, Surajpur and Ambikapur District in Chhattisgarh, Baba Nanak Optical & Fiber in Punjab; Aurangabad Satellite Cable Service Centre for West Bengal areas; SM Cable for Pachpadra in Barmer District of Rajasthan; Diamond Cable Network for Bhandara, Gondia & Nagpur Districts of Maharashtra under Phase-lll & lV; Zaka Cable TV Network for Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand; One Digital TV Services in Nalgonda, Khamam, Warangal, Ranga Reddy & Mahaboob Nagar Districts under Phase lll & lV in Telangana; Bhagyalakshmi Communication Network in Rompicherla, Chinnagottigallu, Bakarapet, Sodam, Somala, Chowdepalle’ Kallur, Damal Gheruvu and Kalikiri in Ghittoor District of Andhra Pradesh; and Bhimavaram Community Network in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh.

     

    While there is no new addition to the northeast, one licence has been issued for Kashmir to J K Cable Network for Sopore, Baramula, Zainageer, Rafiabad, Bandipora, Handwara, Kupwara, Uri, Pattan, Tangmarg, Gulmdrg, Sumbal, Hajin, Narbal and parts of Srinagar. 

     

    While Kal Cables continues to be blacklisted by the Home Ministry, licences issued for Tamil Nadu are: Lucky Cable Vision which will cover area in all cities, towns, Town Panchayats, Village Panchayats of Pollachi (Taluka) Udhumalpet (Taluka), Palani (Taluka), Valparai (Taluka), Kinathu, Kadavu (Taluka) Phase III & Phase IV; and King Digital Network for Salem.

  • 191 MSOs get 10 year licences under DAS for specified areas, 7 allowed to cover more areas

    191 MSOs get 10 year licences under DAS for specified areas, 7 allowed to cover more areas

    NEW DELHI: Pursuant to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry (I&B) urging the Home Ministry to expedite security clearances if digital addressable system (DAS) deadline for phase III has to be achieved, the past 10 weeks have seen a quantum jump in the number of multi-system operators (MSOs) getting 10 year registration: from 169 as on 10 April to 191 as of 22 June 2015.

     

    While there have been licences given, there are a few who have lost their licences. These include – SR Cable of Bangalore ceasing activity, and the Sun-owned Kal Cables of Chennai and Digicable Network India of Mumbai being refused security clearance.

     

    Some others have had their areas modified. These include one in Maharashtra (JPR Channel of Mumbai to cover pan India), Madhya Pradesh (CAN Digital of Indore to also cover Bhopal and Indore), Barak Communication of Assam (to cover more areas in the state), Delhi Distribution Company (to cover Pan India), Technobile Systems of Haryana (to cover more areas in Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Haryana and Rajasthan) and Sea TV Network of Agra, and Novabase Digital Entertainment of Delhi that have got revised licences.

     

    Most of these MSOs had been given provisional permission earlier.

  • MIB issues provisional MSO licence to Reliance Jio

    MIB issues provisional MSO licence to Reliance Jio

    MUMBAI: The wait is finally over for the Mukesh Ambani led Reliance Jio, as the company has finally got the provisional multi system operator (MSO) licence from the Information and Broadcasting Ministry (I&B). The licence was given on 17 June, 2015. 

     

    While I&B Ministry sources refused to comment on giving any such provisional licence, a source from the company confirmed the news saying, “We got the provisional MSO licence on 17 June.” 

     

    The telecom arm of Reliance Industries, Reliance Jio had applied for pan-India MSO licence in January 2015.

     

    This comes soon after the I&B Ministry decided to give provisional licence to MSOs who had applied for licences to operate in phase III. It can be recalled that in October 2014, the Ministry had decided to do away with the system of granting provisional licences and only giving permanent licences in order to ensure that only serious players entered the phase III and IV markets. 

     

    While, the Ministry had then said that it along with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will process the MSO security clearance within 90 days, the same has not been followed. This resulted in the I&B going back to granting provisional licences.

     

    Through a notice on 11 June, 2015, the Ministry accepted the delay in granting of security clearance by the MHA and so asked the close to 700 MSO licence applicants to file their application in an affidavit. Through the affidavit, the applicants had to commit that they have no criminal cases pending against them, and that they will shut down if they are refused security clearance. 

     

    “While we have got the provisional licence, now the MHA will come up with its guidelines, which we will need to follow to get the permanent licence. The reason that a provisional licence has been given is because the MHA was taking a lot of time to give security clearance,” said the source from the company.

     

    It can be noted that two of the pioneers of Indian cable TV sector: K Jayaraman and SN Sharma have already joined Reliance Jio and will be spearheading its business in the country.  

     

    Reliance Jio 4G rollout

     

    In its recent annual general meeting, Reliance Industries chairman and managing director Mukesh D Ambani informed that the ambitious 4G project will launch in December 2015 and that 2016-17 would be the first full year of commercial operations for Jio.

     

    After expending money to the tune of Rs 10,000 crore in acquiring spectrum rights across the country, the company is targeting to provide 4G services across India with an investment of more than Rs 70,000 crore.

  • DAS Phase III: Status report

    DAS Phase III: Status report

    MUMBAI: It was in September 2014 when the then Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar extended the deadline for completion of phase III of cable TV digitization. Not only did Javadekar extend the deadline, but also set separate deadlines for phase III and IV, which initially were supposed to be completed in the same time frame.

     

    So, while the deadline for phase III was set to be December 2015, phase IV could be completed by December 2016.

     

    Notwithstanding these developments, it should be noted that interconnect agreements between multi system operators (MSOs) and last mile owners (LMOs) are not in place for phase I and II cities even now. Moreover, close to 700 MSOs interested in phase III areas have not yet been given the license to operate.

     

    With no announcement about the new Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) chairman, the huge number of litigations between broadcasters, MSOs and LMOs pending in several High Courts and with the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Arbitration Tribunal (TDSAT), there looms a big question mark on the timely completion of Digital Addressable System (DAS) for phase III.

     

    Maharashtra Cable Operators Federation president Arvind Prabhoo says that not more than five per cent of the cable TV homes falling in the phase III universe would have been digitized.

     

    “The government will have to step in if they want the deadline to be met. The government needs to incentivize cable operators by coming up with a cable modernization fund, which could be set at Rs 500 per subscriber. This can be recovered by the government in the next two years through GST,” he said.

     

    Prabhoo also points out that close to nine crore cable TV households in the phase III areas need to be digitized. “If the government sets incentive of Rs 500 per subscriber, we are looking at a modernization fund of only Rs 4500 crore for the whole ‘Digital India’ campaign. I am sure it is not asking for much,” he added.

     

    MSO Hathway Cable & Datacom along with its various subsidiaries has already seeded 50 per cent of its universe. Speaking toIndiantelevision.com on the issues affecting the smooth rollout of digitization in phase III, Hathway MD & CEO Jagdish Kumar Pillai said, “The biggest issue is getting content agreements executed at reasonable costs. The government is doing excellent work in facilitating this process.”

     

    The government on its part has been taking steps like holding not just task force meetings, but also consumer outreach programmes to ensure that the deadline for phase III is met. “We should be thankful to the government for taking a pro-active role in organising task force meetings and also meeting with and between stakeholders. Now it is up to the industry to step up and make it happen,” added Pillai.

     

    A source in TRAI tells this website that there will be no extension in the deadline for phase III. “The government may help facilitate the process, but there is no question of any more extension,” the source said adding that the consumer today is prepared to pay, and the broadcaster is going all out to publicise its digitised platforms. “So if there is any delay from LCOs or MSOs, the consumer will find other ways of going digital, which could be moving to HITS or DTH platform,” the source said.

     

    Speaking about signing off interconnect agreements, the TRAI official informed, “In the last task force meeting, stakeholders were asked to enter into interconnection agreements by June, and if they do not do so, they will be the one to lose. However, if requested, the government may give some more time.”

     

    Concurring with the TRAI official, a broadcaster, on condition of anonymity said, “I agree that there has been a slow start, but it is now picking up pace. There is some amount of progress in signing of contracts.”

     

    The broadcaster is also of the opinion that while 100 per cent of the phase III universe will not be digitized in the given deadline, it doesn’t call for any extension. “Both MIB and the TRAI are closely monitoring the stakeholders through the task force meetings,” he said.

     

    According to the broadcaster, close to 20 million set top boxes (STB) in phase III would have been seeded so far. “Digitisation has been happening for long. Even in phase III, the MSOs were giving digital but non-addressable boxes and now they are switching to addressable boxes and simultaneously activating the addressable feature of the earlier boxes. So, in terms of seeding of addressable boxes, it could be only five – six per cent, but the actual number is much higher,” he added.

     

    With only six months left for completion of digitization of phase III, the MIB has decided to give provisional registration to those MSOs who had applied for the license for phase III. For the same, the Ministry asked applicants to file their applications in an affidavit, which wants MSOs to commit that they have no criminal cases pending against them, and that they will shut down if they are refused security clearance by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

     

    MIB additional secretary JS Mathur said, “There is no reason for any extension of dates for completion of phase III. Work is proceeding as per schedule.”

     

    While the regulators have been taking all steps possible to ensure timely completion of phase III, the stakeholders do not seem to have learnt their lesson from phase I and II. Now how much of the DAS phase III area will be digitized till December 2015, only time will tell.

  • OTT player Lukup applies for MSO licence

    OTT player Lukup applies for MSO licence

    NEW DELHI: Bangalore-based over-the-top (OTT) player Lukup Media has applied for a Multi system Operator (MSO) licence primarily to encourage consumers having a digital set top box to use OTT services.

     

    At present there is lower-than-expected demand for OTT service but the company expects that after acquiring MSO and Internet Service Provider (ISP) licences, it will be able to expand its OTT services.  The main reason for lower demand of OTT service is that customers who already own a digital TV STB do not wish to pay extra for OTT services.

     

    Last year, the company had started signing contracts with local cable operators and has signed with 200 operators with a total base of 1.8 million homes. 

     

    Lukup Media founder CEO Kallol Bora said that the company was looking at investing a sum of Rs 100 – 120 crore to roll out its services in first eight cities.

     

    The company will launch its bundled services in three phases. While the first phase will cover Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad and Bengaluru, the second phase will cover Delhi NCR and Gujarat. In the third phase, the company will cover 47 cities with over one million population. 

     

    Lukup Media has also signed a deal with Widevine for integrating DRM solution. Widevine’s DRM solution provides the capability to license, distribute and protect playback of content on any consumer device. 

     

    Lukup can provide now access of protected content to its customers. The content including movies, music and television shows can be accessed to any device even in congested networks.

     

  • I&B Ministry urges Home Ministry to expedite security clearances for MSOs

    I&B Ministry urges Home Ministry to expedite security clearances for MSOs

    NEW DELHI: Keeping in view the continuing delays in multi-system operators (MSOs) failing to get security clearance, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry (I&B) has send a fresh reminder to the Home Ministry in this regard.

     

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, I&B secretary Bimal Julka said that a meeting has also been sought with concerned officials of the Home Ministry to sort out issues, if any.

     

    He said that the process of digitisation will not be affected, but agreed that several proposals by private MSOs have remained pending for long periods either with the I&B or the Home Ministry.

     

    The I&B Ministry holds open house meetings on a regular basis with MSO representatives so that any queries can be answered.

     

    The Ministry had itself conceded that a proposal by Reliance Jio Media for registration as a multi-system operator under the digital addressable system was sent to the Home Ministry in February last year for security clearance and has still not been returned.

     

    The representative of Reliance Jio, Abhishek Soni, was told that the Home Ministry would take some time to furnish comments/security clearance.

     

    CAT Vision was told that a reminder was being sent to the Home Ministry in its case. Signum Digital Network was also given the same assurance.

     

    Digirevo Networks received a similar response to its query at the open house meeting held early this month.  

     

    Other MSOs received similar replies in meetings held during February and March this year include Goldy Dishnet, Citv Television Network, Sri Udav Satvision, and General Entertainment.

     

  • Reliance Jio awaits security clearance for pan India MSO licence

    Reliance Jio awaits security clearance for pan India MSO licence

    NEW DELHI: Despite announcements by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry about expediting clearances, several proposals by private multi-system operators have remained pending for long periods either with the I&B or the Home Ministry. 

     

    However, I&B secretary Bimal Julka told Indiantelevision.com today that a letter had been sent to the Home Ministry to expedite security clearances, so that the DAS targets could be met.

     

    The Ministry said a proposal by Reliance Jio for registration as a multi-system operator (MSO) under the digital addressable system was sent to the Home Ministry on 2 Feburary for security clearance.

     

    The representative of Reliance Jio, Abhishek Soni, was told that the Home Ministry will take some time to furnish comments/security clearance.

     

    CAT Vision, during a recently held open house meeting, was told that a reminder was being sent to the Home Ministry in its case. Signum Digital Network was also given the same assurance.

     

    Digirevo Networks received a similar response to its query at the open house meeting.   

     

    Indiverse Broadband was told that its request for foreign direct investment (FDI) had been turned down by the Finance Ministry. Its representative said the company had already informed the I&B Ministry in June last year that it no longer needed FDI. However, it was informed by the Ministry officials that no such response had been received from the company.