ITV

Tag: Phase Iv

  • Local STB manufacturers confident of meeting target of DAS phase III and IV

    Local STB manufacturers confident of meeting target of DAS phase III and IV

    NEW DELHI: The Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry has been assured by manufacturers of domestic set top boxes (STBs) that they will be able to meet the demand of 11 crore STBs needed for the final two phases of cable television digitisation.

     

    This assurance was given to I&B Ministry secretary Bimal Julka over the weekend with manufacturers to check the status of indigenous manufacturing of STBs.

     

    I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar had recently told that it was unfortunate that good quality STBs were being exported overseas and poor quality STBs from overseas were being installed.

     

    Earlier, he had said that the Ministry will take steps to solve problems of local manufacturers including those relating to taxation.

     

    The manufacturers appreciated the efforts of the government for resolving their long pending demand of C-form. They said that they have sufficient installed capacity to meet the full demands of STBs locally and said the government’s initiative would help give employment to about 50,000 people and would attract an investment of about Rs 500 crore. It would generate local support facility for repair of STBs and would also help in smooth implementation of digitisation initiative in the country. 

    The Finance Ministry had on 13 August extended the facility of Form ‘C’ under section 8(3) (b) of Central Sales Tax (CST) Act 1956 to STBs thus fulfilling the major demand of the domestic STB manufacturers who would charge CST @ 2 per cent against VAT of 12-14 per cent being paid earlier. 

    The phase III of digitisation to be completed by December 2015 would cover all other urban areas (municipal corporations/ municipalities) which were not covered in first two phases. Phase IV to be completed by December 2016 would cover the rest of India.

     

    The meeting was attended by the members of the consumer electronics and appliances manufacturers association (CEAMA) and representatives from STB manufacturers such as My Box Technologies, Dixon Technology, Videocon, Jabil, One-Eight Technologies, Skyworth Digital, Spectra Innovations, Indieon, Logic Eastern and Simmtronics.

  • Prakash Javadekar confirms the new digitisation deadline

    Prakash Javadekar confirms the new digitisation deadline

    MUMBAI: The first deadline for complete digitisation in the country, 31 December 2014 has been pushed to 2015 and 2016, as first reported by indiantelevision.com.

     

    Now, the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Minister Prakash Javadekar has assured stakeholders who were present at the Indian Broadcasting Foundation’s (IBF) annual general meeting that “Digitisation is on track and will happen as per new schedule.”

     

    Phase III of digitisation is scheduled to be completed by December 2015 and phase IV by December 2016.

     

    Javadekar once again emphasised that one of the key reasons for pushing digitisation to a further date was to allow time for Indian set top boxes (STBs) to be manufactured.

     

    Regarding industry rating body Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), the Minister said that the government was also keen to have its rollout to have multiple agencies for ratings.

     

    A meeting to discuss carriage fees is also likely to happen sometime soon between Javadekar and members of the IBF.

     

    The Home Ministry has also given the I&B Ministry approval to treat files pending with it for more than three months as ‘cleared’ to speed up channel licence clearances.

  • I&B Ministry issues new deadlines for DAS phase III and IV

    I&B Ministry issues new deadlines for DAS phase III and IV

    NEW DELHI: It is official now. The new dates for digitisation of cable television in the entire country have been announced. While indiantelevision.com was the first to write about the extension in the date given for digitisation of phase III and IV, Information and Broadcasting Ministry officials have said that while phase III has been postponed to December 2015, phase IV can be completed by December 2016. The move has been taken to allow great indigenisation of production of Set Top Boxes (STB) to meet the demands of digital addressable system (DAS).

     

    Earlier, the government had set 31 December 2014 as the date by which the cable sector across the country would be completely digitised.

     

    In the first two phases of digitisation, which included cable TV households in the four metros and other major cities, most of the STBs that were installed had been imported from other countries.

     

    After he took over as Information and Broadcasting Minister, one of the major areas of focus of Prakash Javadekar has been indigenisation of the digitisation drive and Ministry sources said the new dates are in keeping with inputs supplied to the Minister in this connection.

     

    The Ministry has made efforts to get STBs declared as Telecommunication Network Equipment which will enable domestic manufacturers to get exempted from certain taxes, an official said.

     

    Nearly 110 million STBs are required to be installed in cable TV households in the remaining two phases of digitisation and the extended deadline will ensure that the domestic manufacturers prepare themselves and meet this demand, officials said.