ITV

Tag: QoS

  • TRAI explores methodology for QoS under DAS regime

    NEW DELHI: As the country moves towards the final phase of digital addressable systems, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India wants to know if there should be a uniform regulatory framework for quality of service and consumer protection across all digital addressable platforms.

    TRAI has also sought opinion of stakeholders on the standards and essential technical parameters for ensuring good quality of service for digital cable TV, direct-to-home (DTH), head-end in the sky (HITS) and Internet Protocol Television (IPTV).

    The opinion has been sought in a detailed consultation paper on ‘Issues related to quality of services in Digital Addressable Systems and consumer protection’, and stakeholders have been asked to send in their comments by17 June and counter-comments if any by 1 July.

    In over fifty questions posed to stakeholders, it wants to know the broad contours for quality of rervice regulatory framework for digital addressable systems.

    The regulator has asked if timelines relating to various activities to get new connection should be left to the Distribution Platform Operators (DPOs) to be transparently declared to the subscribers.  What should be the time limits for various activities including consumer application form and installation and activation of service for new connections, it wants to know.  

    Referring to a query often asked by stakeholders, the Regulator wants to know if the minimum essential information to be included in the CAF should be mandated through regulations to maintain basic uniformity.  Should the use of e-CAF be facilitated, encouraged or mandated, it has asked.

    It wants to know whether the minimum essential information to be included in the Manual of Practice be mandated through regulations to maintain basic uniformity and to ensure that consumers get all relevant information about the services being subscribed.

    TRAI wants to know if an initial subscription period can be charged while providing a new connection to protect the interest of subscribers as well as DPOs, and the protections for subscribers and DPOs during initial subscription period.

    TRAI wants to know the methodology of reduction in subscription charges be calculated in case of discontinuation of channel from DPOs platform.

    Stakeholders have been asked to give their opinion on the maximum permissible time of disruption beyond  which subscriber must be compensated if there is disruption due to technical fault on the DPO network or at the subscriber’s end; disruption due to technical fault of Consumer Premises Equipment at the subscriber’s end.

    The stakeholders have been asked why the uptake of mandated schemes for set top box (Outright purchase, hire purchase, and on rent) is so low at present and whether this is due to lack of consumer awareness and what other methods should be used for this.

    Opinion has also been sought on the billing cycle both for pre-paid and post-paid and whether deduction of maintenance related charges for CPE from the pre-paid subscription account should be prohibited.

    Comments have been sought on call centre availability hours, multiple languages in Interactive Voice Response, response time for answering IVR and voice to voice calls and  d. Sub menu and accessibility of customer care executive.

    What should be the innovative ways to develop a speedy user friendly complaint registering and redressal framework using Mobile Apps, SMS, online system etc., the regulator has asked.

     

  • TRAI is working on amending QoS regulation: N Parameswaran

    TRAI is working on amending QoS regulation: N Parameswaran

    MUMBAI: It has been nearly three months since the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) came up with its consultation paper on levying financial disincentives on multi system operators (MSOs) and local cable operators (LCOs) who are delaying the process of billing in the digital addressable system (DAS) areas of the country.

    Although it has been long since the deadlines for commencement of billing in DAS areas got over, there is no clue on how the whip will be cracked on those who haven’t gone beyond installing set top boxes in phase I and II.

    TRAI principal advisor N Parameswaran says, “We are in the process of working on the amendment to the Quality of Service (QoS) regulation. The comments have come and we are yet to take a final decision on the same.”

    Meanwhile, the MSOs that indiantelevision.com spoke to have said that billing has happened only in few areas of New Delhi and Kolkata while the remaining cities in DAS phase III and IV don’t even have proper consumer application forms (CAFs).

    TRAI earlier had said that it is seeking to implement financial penalties on those MSOs and LCOs who defy the law. Comments had been asked from stakeholders on the same. The regulator had also said that for non-compliance of issuing bills, a disincentive of not exceeding Rs 20 per subscriber will be levied on the MSO and/or its linked cable operator and for the second time, penalty would be Rs 50. “For non-compliance of regulations, Rs 100 will be levied on each MSO for each contravention. If the MSO and LCO have entered into an agreement, both of them will be penalised for faults while in the case of no deal being signed, only the MSO is liable to pay,” TRAI had said.

    As per the consultation paper, the amendment, when approved, will come into effect 30 days from the date of publication.

     

  • TRAI acts tough about DAS; moves court against cable TV ops

    TRAI acts tough about DAS; moves court against cable TV ops

    MUMBAI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is flexing its muscles. The telco regulator has taken about a dozen cable operators to a Delhi court for not providing details of subscribers of set-top boxes (STBs) to multi-system operators (MSO) which is necessary to ensure accountability in digitisation of cable TV services.

    The regulator has filed a complaint before chief metropolitan magistrate Vidya Prakash, saying that cable TV operators have not been complying with its regulations relating the government mandated digital addressable system (DAS). Under this, cable ops are supposed to attach a set top box to TV sets of their subscribers. And they have to provide customer details along with their choice of services, choice of channels and bouquets. But they have not been forwarding these to the MSO, the TV signals of which they are delivering to their subscribers. TRAI had ordered this to be the norm to ensure transparency and acccountability.

    The regulator had in May 2012 issued its standards of quality of services (Qos) which provides for connection, disconnection, transfer, shifting of the cable TV services, procedure for handling subscribers complaints and redressal, for obtaining/ supplying STBs, changing the position of channels, payment of bills and responsibilities of cable operators and MSOs for ensuring quality of service at the subscriber level.

    According to the QoS, cable ops had to mandatorily provide consumer information. But when it was getting updates about the spread of digitisation in phase I in the four metros, it discovered that some linked cable ops were shying away from providing relevant consumer details like total number of STBs seeded and operationalised, their choice of channels, bouquets and about subscribers. The TRAI also disclosed that the cable ops have failed to comply with its notices.

    Small cable ops have been having run-ins with the TRAI from time to time, fearing future survival in a scenario where the MSO ends up building a direct relationship with their subscribers.

  • Trai’s DTH paper stresses on QoS, interconnect

    Trai’s DTH paper stresses on QoS, interconnect

    NEW DELHI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) just released a Consultation Paper on the issues issues arising out of the provision of the direct-to-home television service.

    The Trai paper’s focus is on three issues – interconnect agreements, quality of service standards and technical and commercial interoperability for set top boxes.

    On the Interconnection issues, Trai is taking up those relating to standardisation of interconnection agreements and use of the reference interconnect offer methodology. Additionally, issues relating to provision of access to broadcasters, must carry obligations and the related issue of carriage fee are also being taken up.

    On the tariff question, the Trai paper remains consistent with the line taken earlier as well by the sector regulator that it will not intervene or regulate matters of pricing of DTH services.

    On the subject of quality of service standards, the paper has issues of whether QOS standards for DTH should be mandated.

    The other two issues on this subject are

    Whether the approach suggested by Trai for the telecom sector where it mandates the details of the grievance redressal machinery – maintenance of call centre, appointment of nodal officers for grievance redressal and establishment of appellate body – can be followed in the case of DTH also.

    And whether quality of service standards can be voluntarily evolved by the service provider.

    Another major issue is whether technical interoperability of STBs should be retained or whether it should be replaced by commercial interoperability. And then again, if commercial interoperability is to be introduced then what is the manner in which this is to be done.

    “Interconnection for DTH is already covered on issues relating to “must provide”. However, the reverse obligations regarding “must carry” as well as issues relating to standardisation of agreements have not yet been addressed and these have been raised in the consultation paper.

    “On the quality of service standards, the basic issue is whether these should be mandated and if so, in what manner.

    “Finally, the regulatory issues regarding set top boxes focus on the need for commercial interoperability and whether this should replace the technical interoperability. The major issues posed for consultation are indicated in the box placed alongside,” the statement concluded.

     
    As regards pricing, it may be mentioned that in relation to the case between Zee Turner versus TataSky, the Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal had asked a few weeks ago, whether Trai would be looking into this. Trai had later responded that the process is on, and this paper now comes in part as a result of that exercise.

    “At present, apart from Doordarshan, which provides free to air channels, there are two other DTH service providers for pay channels and two more have obtained license to commence operation, a statement from Trai said today.

     
    The statement says that there are a number of issues relating to tariffs, both at the wholesale and at the retail level.

    “The foremost issue is whether there is need for any regulation of DTH tariffs since the DTH service is in fact providing some competition to cable television. Competition provides an excellent method for ensuring the consumer’s interests are protected.

    “Accordingly, regulation has a rationale when the market does not function or the level of competition is inadequate. It has been seen in the recent past that there has been some competition between the two DTH service providers as well as between DTH and cable.

    “Competitive packages and offers have been made by all the service providers as against the situation just one year back when the consumer had virtually no choice and options.

    “Considering all these developments, it has been decided that these issues should be looked at after some time when the impact of the competition in general, and impact of roll out of the CAS in cable TV in particular can be assessed. Accordingly the tariff issues have not been posed for consultation at present,” the statement said.

    The major issues posed for consultation related to interconnection, quality of service standards and regulatory issues regarding set top boxes.

    The consultation paper can be found on the Trai website, at www.trai.gov.in.

  • DVB-H set to be future of mobile TV: report

    DVB-H set to be future of mobile TV: report

    MUMBAI: The concept of providing television services on a mobile device is generating much enthusiasm among the wireless industry, in turn driving the growth and development of digital video broadcasting-handheld (DVB-H) technology. Overwhelming support from the wireless industry is likely to be one of the major drivers for the growth of the technology, as will be the increasing demand for content on the move. In short, DVB-H could well become a global standard similar to Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM), creating an altogether new market for television viewership.

    New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, DVB-H Technology-Market and Potential Analysis, reveals that revenues in this market totaled $60 million in 2006 and is likely to reach $2.04 billion in 2010.

    “Many participants in the wireless industry support the DVB-H technology as it is an open industry standard, and this non-proprietary feature of the standards is likely to vastly assist its growth in the wireless market,” notes Frost & Sullivan research analyst Nagarajan Sampathkumar. “Furthermore, DVB-H delivers an improved end-user experience over current video streaming services that utilize cellular networks, while also providing, broadcasters, cellular operators, handset manufacturers and silicon providers with tremendous growth opportunities.”

    This apart, the quality of service (QoS) is likely to be better due to the use of a dedicated broadcast network. Additionally, though DVB-H claims speeds of 25 frames per second (fps), trials show practical speeds of 15-16 fps, which seem to be sufficient for existing screen sizes and resolutions. However, in future, these speeds are likely to increase to 20-25 fps for fixed digital TV in Europe.

    Despite the promise, one of the biggest challenges to adoption of DVB-H by mobile operators is the issue of business and revenue models. With DVB-H, mobile operators are likely to prefer to continue operating in their area of domain expertise service provisioning, billing, and customer care and therefore, broadcasters would have ownership of the content and the overall visual experience.

    “Hence, mobile operators would need to differentiate their offerings and provide value to ensure customer loyalty and remain profitable,” says Sampathkumar. “This also means that mobile operators are likely to serve only as a link to customers and would not be in a position to negotiate for better revenue splits with others in the value chain.”

    Service providers would be required to work very closely with content creators, aggregators, and broadcasters, and ensure secure content and support digital rights management in an effort to protect copyrighted content. While revenue issues could be addressed through subscription models, event-based, pay per view, and even interactive services, the most important challenge is likely to be the optimizing of battery life of the handsets, the study concludes.

  • MatrixStream introduces internet based IPTV encoders

    MatrixStream introduces internet based IPTV encoders

    MUMBAI: MatrixStream Technologies, Inc, a technology company specialising in full integrated, end to end IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) solutions, introduced a new series, offering standard definition MPEG 4 AVC / VC-1 and a MPEG 4 AVC high definition encoder, respectively dubbed IMX4000 and IMX4500.

    Most video encoders currently available on the market are not optimized for IPTV and work over multi-cast enabled networks only. However, MatrixStream’s IMX4000 series digital encoders as part of MatrixStream’s end to end IPTV platform resolves systems integration issues, problematic issues which previously posed enormous NRE and deployment barriers and costs, allowing broadband providers the capability to offer broadcast quality television and video related services over the public internet.

    Moreover, MatrixStream IPTV encoders supports Matrixstream patent pending XMS streaming solution, optimised for 750 kbps for DVD quality streams and 2.5 Mbps for high definition quality streams – an extremely responsive with instant channel changing with multiple picture in picture and robust solution suited for high quality video deployment over any best effort broadband connection.

    Also the video signal is kept all digital, resulting in an IPTV platform that rival or exceed the experience of cable or satellite TV. The IMX4000 series high definition encoders are expected to be released in Q4 2006, and will be marketed along with MatrixStream’s IMX1020 1080P set top box, which shall create a complete high definition IPTV platform solution that can stream over any best effort broadband connection without quality of service (QoS).