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Tag: Rahul Khullar

  • JAINHITS chooses ARRIS to meet demands of video digitisation

    JAINHITS chooses ARRIS to meet demands of video digitisation

    NEW DELHI: JAINHITS, India’s first and only HITS-based Direct to Network (DTN) service, has selected set top boxes from ARRIS’s HMC portfolio to deliver digital video services across the nation. 

     

    According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), India is set to witness digitisation of approximately 100 million homes by the end of this year.

     

    Currently, JAINHITS offers more than 252 standard definition (SD) channels, following the launch of the nationwide ARRIS digital headend earlier this year, and plans to soon provide full high-definition (HD) services, which will be made available via the new ARRIS set-top boxes.

     

    “As we look to grow our services to meet the digital transition in India and introduce HD services later this year, we are pleased to extend our working relationship with ARRIS to add its set-top boxes to our offering,” said JAINHITS chairman JK Jain. “Our platform coupled with ARRIS set-top boxes will allow cable operators to provide 250 digital TV channels using just 12 frequencies as compared to the 106 they are using today. This will help them free valuable spectrum, and use this available spectrum to provide broadband services to increase ARPU and fulfill Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream of a digitally developed India.” 

     

    “ARRIS is driving the global transition to an all-digital content delivery platform – giving customers like JAINHITS a competitive advantage in delivering tomorrow’s services on today’s networks”, said ARRIS Asia Pacific senior vice president Tim Gropp. “JAINHITS benefits from our proven digital video portfolio and worldwide footprint, which enables us to deliver localised solutions and support.”

     

    JAINHITS is deploying HMC1010 SD set-top and the HMC2010 HD set-top from September 2014. Both are cost-effective digital terminal adapters (DTA) for operators looking to convert from an analog to a digital service. The compact and energy efficient design of all the HMC series set-top boxes, including the HMC1010 and HMC2010, minimizes energy consumption, reducing their impact on the environment.

     

  • IDOS 2014: MCOF’s vision for DAS phase III and IV

    IDOS 2014: MCOF’s vision for DAS phase III and IV

    GOA: Maharashtra Cable Operators Foundation president Arvind Prabhoo has expressed complete dissatisfaction at the extension of the digitisation dates in phase III and phase IV. While the Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar has said that the delay in digitisation is because he is looking at indigenisation of set top boxes (STBs), Prabhoo feels that even before the Indian STB manufacturers come up with their quality boxes, the international vendors will start chipping in boxes, which will be over priced.

     

    According to Prabhoo, the postponement also sends a signal that there is a dichotomy between the regulator and the industry. The MCOF president was expressing his views during the just concluded IDOS 2014 in Goa.   

     

    “The worst impact of this delay will be on the last mile owners (LMOs), who will now face stiff competition from the direct to home (DTH) players because they will now have almost a year or year and a half to start marketing their product,” informs Prabhoo.

     

    The LMO, for Prabhoo is an entrepreneur “and we have been saying this since last year.”

     

    Many LMOs have started realigning themselves at district level as well as state level. “The last mile owner has realised that alignment and realignment will happen and it is good for him. We know that a lot of LMOs, who have a good standing in the community will get funds for fellow LMOs,” opines Prabhoo.

     

    He also highlights that a lot of technology solutions will be provided by LMOs, which will be much cheaper than what is currently available. “And if we adopt technology, I think it will become a great time for LMOs and independent headend operators.”

     

    Prabhoo through IDOS 2014 has also requested the Telecom Regulator Authority of India (TRAI) chairman Rahul Khullar to open up the ISP licences for cable television owners. “It is after this that the broadband and digital India dream can materialise,” he says.  

     

    He opines that while the extension has been given, the challenge can be seen as an opportunity. He is aware of the challenges, considering the different demographics for phase III and IV markets. “There are almost 5000 headend owners; we might have to cut this down to maybe 50 headends. That’s going to lead to unemployment. Also revenue differentiation will be there,” he highlights.

     

    Prabhoo disagrees with the perception that the ARPU is less. “There is going to be a viability concern because of transportation cost. We have requested the TRAI chairman to also allow us to use the national optical fibre system and subsidise rates. If that happens and cost of transportation goes down then these headends could be a viable proposition,” he says.

     

    According to him, players who were earlier in the B2B space and have applied for a DAS licence, when they begin to expand in phase III and IV areas, they won’t have any legacy issues. MCOF claims to have helped the LMO and independent headend owner by tying up with telecom skills department to re-skill employees because digital era is different than their analogue culture. “We are revenue driven and not valuation drive. So, those who want to see actual revenues coming in, should partner with us,” says Prabhoo.

     

    Learning from the mistakes of phase I and II, this time it will emphasise on data services. One of the major issues was about customer ownership and MCOF says that this will keep the ownership with the LMO with a fee based OSS and BSS services such as headend operation, billing etc. “We are looking at reducing a tier in the broadcaster, MSO, LMO, customer tier thus enabling lower MRP and much higher revenue share to the LMOs,” he concludes.

  • IDOS 2014: A must, say industry stalwarts

    IDOS 2014: A must, say industry stalwarts

    MUMBAI: The broadcast, cable, DTH industry and the regulatory body is all set for the biggest confab of the year.  To be held in Goa, starting 25 September with a big bang opening night party organised by HBO Hits and Defined, all the heads of India’s pay TV market, distribution, broadcast, cable and DTH industry are gathering to brainstorm and suggest the way forward for the already delayed digitisation at the Indian Digital Operators Summit (IDOS) 2014. 

     

    The extension in the deadline as announced by the Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar has somewhat delayed the plans of many in the pay TV circuit. While the biggest concern currently is smooth rollout of the phase III and phase IV of digitisation, industry biggies will also ideate on how, with consumers moving to other screens apart of television, can be monetised.

     

    The tenth edition of IDOS, is themed around, ‘Digitisation: The Next Big Push.’ Organised by Indian Television Dot Com and Media Partners Asia, the conference unites stakeholders across the value chain to drive meaningful dialogue and facilitate practical solutions to drive the content and distribution markets forward.

     

    “The forum provides opportunity for interaction with all key people involved in the broadcasting sector, not only digital operators but others as well,” says Dish TV CEO RC Venkateish.

     

    According to Venkateish, the theme is very relevant given digitisation is an ongoing process. “That process is something we all hope will take the industry to the next level,” he adds.  The Dish CEO expects the conclave to be a platform for exchange of news, information and opportunity to share some of their view points with the regulator.

     

    For Maharashtra Cable Operators Foundation president Arvind Prabhoo, IDOS’ concept is most pertinent in today’s market scenario. “Once digitisation was announced, all the players in the ecosystem needed to come together and voice their opinion to benefit from it,” says Prabhoo adding that Indiantelevision.com was the first to identify this need and organise such a conference.

     

    “It is a really good one and is only going to get bigger,” he opines.

     

    On the theme for this year’s IDOS, Prabhoo says, “Everyone needs a push, after all the struggle that happened in phase I and phase II. There had to be some kind of out-of-the-box thinking. And this is what will come out in the next two days of the conference.”

     

    Prabhoo is looking forward to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India chairman Rahul Khullar, Hathway director Viren Raheja and Tata Sky MD and CEO Harit Nagpal amongst others to come up with the kind of impetus that can be given by large corporate houses.

     

    BBC Global News India COO Naveen Jhunjhunwala is another industry stalwart who is looking forward to some meaningful sessions and interactions at IDOS, this year. “The TV industry is progressing rapidly and the theme for this year’s conference is a positive step towards bringing together the stakeholders and tapping into opportunities that exist in digitisation,” he concludes.   

  • Additional time for comments on regulatory framework for platform services as Delhi OHD ends abruptly

    Additional time for comments on regulatory framework for platform services as Delhi OHD ends abruptly

    NEW DELHI: An Open House Meeting in New Delhi on issues relating to the regulatory framework for platform services operated by television distribution platform operators ended abruptly when a set of cable TV operators insisted that other problems relating to LCOs should also be discussed.

     

    TRAI chairman Rahul Khullar assured the operators that time would be given after the agenda items were over, but the meet was ended abruptly after 45 minutes when no heed was paid to his plea and because of ‘sustained disturbance’.

     

    Later, local cable operators held a demonstration outside the venue and also filed a police complaint against TRAI officials including Khullar, saying he first invited them but refused to listen to them, and called the police to keep them under control. They also alleged he was only interested in appeasing the broadcasters lobby. 

     

    TRAI later said the meetings for the other three regions – Mumbai on 12 September; Bangalore on 16 September; and Kolkata on 19 September – were constructive wherein not just the issues on the agenda but also other matters relating to development of the cable industry, including digitisation, were discussed.

     

    In view of the abrupt ending and to enable stakeholders to make other recommendations relating to the regulatory framework for platform services operated by TV distribution platform operators, TRAI has decided to permit stakeholders to give any additional comments by 29 September. Platform services include the local channels shown on cable TV.

     

    The meeting in Delhi, organised for the stakeholders in the Northern region, was the last of a series of four open house discussions organised in different parts of India.

     

    The four OHDs were to enable the Authority obtain first hand information regarding the views and opinions on the issues involved from a wide cross-section of the stakeholders.

     

    Representatives of the local cable operators; multi-system operators; broadcasters; DTH operators; HITS operators; content creators; consumer organisations, research institutions etc. came for the OHDs. 

     

  • IDOS 2014: India’s broadcast, DTH & cable television industry’s captain congregate

    IDOS 2014: India’s broadcast, DTH & cable television industry’s captain congregate

    MUMBAI: Heads of India’s pay TV, distribution and broadcast sector are headed for Goa between 25 and 27 September 2014 for the industry’s annual confab – The India Digital Operators Summit (IDOS) – 2014. In its third edition, IDOS 2014’s theme is ‘Digitisation: The Next Big Push.’ 

     
    Organised by IndianTelevision.com and Media Partners Asia (MPA), it unites stakeholders across the value chain to drive meaningful dialogue and facilitate practical solutions to drive the content and distribution markets forward.

     

    The three day summit will kickstart with HBO hosting the most awaited party of the season on 25 September at The Leela in south Goa. 

     

    The highlight for the three day conference is TRAI chairman Rahul Khullar who will address the gathering on ‘Policy, practices and the way forward – The Next Five Years for Indian Television.’

    Day two of the summit will commence with a keynote on the ‘State of the TV Nation’ by Indiantelevision.com founder, CEO and editor in chief Anil Wanvari and MPA executive director Vivek Couto. 

     

    A panel comprising leading investment analysts and investors will next discuss the key drivers of industry economics and value creation and if digitisation extension dates will cause concerns for investors and ROI.

     

    ‘Unity and The Way Forward for the Next Five Years’ will be another topic for discussion at the upcoming summit. During the session, industry leaders will be seen discussing on how there is a need to converge upon and the urgency of proper execution in the coming months. The other sessions will see brainstorming on ‘Specialized content and channels in the digital ecosystem’, ‘Broadband and the digital economy – A focus on ground deployments’, ‘In focus: The growth of alternative video platforms’ and ‘Technology shifts in Indian Pay-TV’ among others.

     

    Amongst the headline names who are slated to attend and speak include: Star India CEO Uday Shankar, Zee TV CEO Punit Goenka, TRAI principal advisor N Parmeswaran, FoodFood promoter Sanjiv Kapoor, Dish TV CEO RC Venkateish, Videocon d2H CEO Anil Khera, Hathway Cable & Datacom MD and CEO Jagdish Kumar, Siti Cable CEO VD Wadhwa, DEN Networks CEO SN Sharma, Mybox CEO Amit Kharbanda, Scripps Networks Asia Pacific head Derek Chang,  Ortel CEO BP Rath, among others. 

     

    Says Indiantelevision.com founder, CEO, and editor in chief Anil Wanvari: “For decades, it has been seen as a land of promise. But India’s $7.5 billion television industry has somehow or the other belied that potential. Forced by the government to digitise, India’s TV distribution ecosystem has been struggling to get its act together. While set top boxes (STBs) have been rolled out, transparent customer billing, pricing deals between content owners and distributors, and conditional access have yet to occur seamlessly. This has left industry precisely at the same spot it was at before digitisation was mandated.”

     

    Adds Media Partners Asia executive director Vivek Couto:  “Revenue leakages continue, and industry discord has only heightened, amongst broadcasters, cable and DTH satellite operators. Clearly, key changes are required with the Government recently calling for an extension to the digitisation deadline to December 2015 for phase III and December 2016 for phase IV. It is in this perspective we expect IDOS to play a key role in getting likeminded  professionals from industry to come together to analyse the just completed phase I and phase II of digitisation and brainstorm for a better phase III and phase IV.”

     

    The title partner for the event executed by ITV 2.0 Productions is Star India. The summit partners are BBC World News, Cisco, Discovery Channel, HBO Defined HBO Hits, SES, Surewaves and Videocon D2H. The associate partners are Akamai, Asiasat, CSG International, DEN, Hathway and Scripps Network. Broadband India Forum is the support partner, while 24 Frames Digital is the webcast partner. The media partners for the event are Avishkar, Cable Quest, Radioandmusic.com, Satellite @ Internet India and Tellychakkar.com

     

    IDOS is to be held at the Hotel Leela in south Goa between 25-27 September 2014.

  • “DoT should regulate carriage and I&B can look at content”: Rahul Khullar

    “DoT should regulate carriage and I&B can look at content”: Rahul Khullar

    NEW DELHI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) chairman Rahul Khullar has once again spoken loud and clear. The 62-year-old Khullar has proposed that while the Department of Telecom should exclusively focus its attention on carriage and carriage related issues while the Information and Broadcasting Ministry (I&B), considering its history, should be only regulating content.

     

    “And I think that is the way we need to go,” he said while addressing the gathering at the recently concluded CII Big Summit 2014.

     

    He also came down heavily on the politicians and political parties. He said, “The Supreme Court through its ruling has clearly stated that airwaves are not the monopoly of the state.”

     

    So, while Prasar Bharati must exist and it must be independent; politicians, governments, state governments and their organs have “absolutely no business whatsoever to be in broadcasting space,” he announced and suggested that the government must announce this as an integral part of the National Media Policy.

     

    Khullar also gave his perspective on the other components of the National Media Policy. “Firstly, there must be a clear articulation that we want a free media, unhampered and unrestricted by the government in any way possible,” he said while also suggesting that the media itself must be subject to safeguards. “It could come from other forms of independent regulators. You cannot have an institution which has rights but no duties,” he added.  

     

    Secondly, there must be commitment in National Media Policy to uphold plurality of views and opinion. “And this must be a commitment,” he said.

     

    Thirdly, time has come that we start talking about infrastructure. “If this National Media Policy is actually going to work, are we or are we not going to be in a digitised world? We cannot be flipping and flopping the dates as we send out wrong signals to the rest of the world about your credible commitment towards any policy,” he stated.

     

    Khullar also pointed out the issues with spectrum availability. “It is a nightmare to deal with ISRO. The organisation neither gives you a transponder nor does it allow you to get a transponder of your own,” he informed.  

  • Kolkata LCOs appeal to TRAI’s Khullar to air local TV channels

    Kolkata LCOs appeal to TRAI’s Khullar to air local TV channels

    KOLKATA: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) chairman Rahul Khullar met 150 local cable operators in the city where they told him their grievances.

     

    The cable operators raised the issue of the regulations of the local video channels floated by the body or in other words popularly known as platform services (PS).

     

    “We have appealed to TRAI to allow us to run our local channels as we did during the analogue times,” said Cable Operators’ Sangram Committee secretary Apurba Bhattacharya and added, “The cable TV operators have no intention to violate the rules and regulations set up by the most competent authority concerning local channel.”

     

    “Technology is evolving rapidly and hence, transmission of local content cannot be restricted by selection of type of content. It is advisable that the authority may come out with a guideline with restricted content given the current conditions,” said Cable & Broadband Operators’ Welfare Association general secretary Swapan Chowdhury.

     

    Khullar answering to some of the LCOs query said that the regulator would like to monitor all the content aired on the local channels. “The LCOs will not be able to telecast news and related events,” he said.

     

    The chairman also assured that he will keep the view of LCOs in mind while formulating directives on PS. Other LCOs present at the venue said that the local video channel is the foundation pillar of cable television network.

     

    The TRAI had, a few months ago, come up with a consultation paper to regulate platform services in which it said that due to digitisation, LCOs wont’ be able to transmit a local channel and will have to take it from an MSO.

  • Govt sending wrong signals to foreign investors by delaying digitisation: Rahul Khullar

    Govt sending wrong signals to foreign investors by delaying digitisation: Rahul Khullar

    MUMBAI: Recently, a letter written by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) chairman Rahul Khullar pointed out that the government was committing a mistake by extending the deadline for digitisation. Khullar has many more points to present on the regulator and the industry.

     

    In a conversation with Bloomberg, he said that his views on digitisation were very clear. “It is a very bad decision to defer it. It is bad for digital India, broadband delivery and not in public interest,” he said.

     

    While the government says that its main aim is to push indigenous production of seven crore set top boxes (STBs) in two years, Khullar feels that this is a ‘pipe dream.’

     

    Khullar said that last year several investors met him and conveyed that it was a miracle that they managed to get two crore boxes digitised. They also asked that by when will digitisation be completed because they are desperately interested in investments in cable. “By delaying digitisation, you are sending a signal to foreign investors that India isn’t ready for investment yet. This does great harm to public credibility,” he said.

     

    Meanwhile, rumours are afloat that the government is mulling creation of a ‘super regulator’ that will oversee the communications sector. Khullar believes that it is necessary to keep content and carriage separate. “If your aim is to strengthen TRAI then you don’t need a super regulator, just empower the existing one. But if it is to regulate carriage and content, this is an experiment that hasn’t succeeded in the world,” he said.

     

    According to him, issues concerning content immediately ‘stir up a hornet’s nest’ that usually involves freedom of speech. “My own sense would be to keep carriage and content separate and ensure that the content regulator has nothing to do with the government. Then you have some sort of fighting chance of regulatory survival,” he said.

     

    Broadband is a growing medium of revenue that is catching the attention of all in media space. The TRAI is due to come out with a paper on ‘policy issues relating to broadband’ in the next 10 days. “Broadband and convergence is still five to 10 years away. If we are to deliver broadband we need to know how to do it in the cheapest way, who should be involved, what to be done in terms of application and software development,” he highlighted. It will focus on building infrastructure and delivering content.

  • I&B Ministry explains to PMO its reasons for postponing digitisation dates

    I&B Ministry explains to PMO its reasons for postponing digitisation dates

    NEW DELHI: The Information and Broadcasting Ministry feels that digitisation is a tool to empower the people and not create difficulties, and therefore does not agree that it will create any setback to the Digital India Plan.

     

    Ministry sources told indiantelevision.com that this had been conveyed by the Ministry to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in response to the communication to PMO by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India chairman Rahul Khullar.

     

    The sources also pointed out that the pace of digitisation had slowed down over the past year due to lack of adequate publicity and paucity of fund allocation. 

     

    The Ministry said cable TV digitisation was only a small though major part of Digital India.

     

    The main purpose was not to delay digitisation of cable television networks but to encourage greater indigenisation of both set top boxes and other equipment, the sources informed.

     

    The dates proposed by the Ministry were only the outer limit and every effort would be made to ensure digitisation of cable TV is achieved before that. It was also pointed out that the consumer’s capacity to pay was of great importance in the last two phases which were reaching out to semi-urban or rural areas.

     

    It was also emphasised that TRAI was being consulted on the proposal about the new dates and the views of the regulator would be taken into account.

     

    Khullar in his note to the PMO has said staggering implementation of the cable TV digitisation plan will be a major setback to the Digital India plan.

     

    He said, “For the last six months, we have been working on phase-III and phase-IV. If implementation is now staggered, it will be a body blow to the project, primarily because momentum will be lost and it is truly very difficult to enforce compliance countrywide.”

     

    Under the current plan, the third phase of the cable TV digitisation plan is expected to end on 30 September, and phase IV by 31 December this year, while the Ministry feels the new dates should be December 2015 and December 2016 respectively.

     

    “Should this happen, it will be a major setback to digitisation in the country. Further, a huge effort was made by TRAI to enforce compliance. We encountered significant difficulties in ensuring that phase I and phase II were effectively completed,” the TRAI chief wrote.

     

    There are 100 million homes with cable TV connection of which 20 million are digital. In addition, there are 56 million DTH homes. This is more than the fixed line telephony subscriber base. Digitisation would enable cable TV networks to be used for two-way communications, a pre-requisite for internet services.

     

    TRAI said that digitisation offers much cheaper means of providing broadband to consumers compared to the National Optical Fibre Network project, which aims to roll out fibre cables across the country as broadband is the main supplier of TV signals in all developed countries. 

  • TRAI paper on broadband next month

    TRAI paper on broadband next month

    MUMBAI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) will come out with a comprehensive consultation paper on broadband next month. It will invite views of public on issues related to roll out of broadband in the country.

     

    Inaugurating the “Eighth Mobile India Summit: Broadband Highway-Driving India’s Growth” organised by Assocham, TRAI chairman Rahul Khullar said, “The authority has been working on broadband issues, and hopefully, we will come out with a paper on broadband, may be by the end of next month.” He also admitted that India’s progress in terms of broadband has been very limited and disappointing.

     

    “Of 1.8 lakh kilometres (kms) cable that has been ordered 15,000 has been delivered which is just about eight per cent, of six lakh kms for ducting actual achievement is about 2,000 kms which is about 0.3 per cent, the optical fibre cable pulled is about 250 kms which is less than 0.05 per cent of the target and all this has been achieved in past two years,” he added.

     

    He further stressed the need for targeted approach to achieve broadband policy objectives. He also focused on the scope to use available private infrastructure in conjunction with already existing public infrastructure

     

    TRAI is also planning to issue a consultation paper soon to discuss regulatory framework around Over-the-top (OTT) players like WhatsApp, Skype, Viber, WeChat etc.

     

    The OTT players facilitate free calls and messaging services, making it affordable for consumers to use them. Telecom subscribers are required to pay only internet charges to their operators for using OTT services.

     

    The authority had recently organised a seminar on ‘Regulatory Framework for OTT Services’ with the aim to provide a platform for exchanging views on key issues related to OTT and also rejected the proposal put forward by telcos to charge popular apps.