ITV

Tag: Sudip Ghosh

  • CTMA to organise Cable TV Show 2015 in Kolkata from 18 Feb

    CTMA to organise Cable TV Show 2015 in Kolkata from 18 Feb

    KOLKATA: Cable TV Equipments Traders & Manufacturers Association (CTMA) is organising its three-day annual satellite and cable television show 2015 from 18-20 February at the Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata.

     

    Thousands of cable operators, traders, manufacturers, channel partners, distributors, and broadcasters from across the country, Bhutan, Nepal, and Bangladesh are expected to attend the show.

     

    “Cable TV Show 2015 would showcase and promote latest products, technology, emerging trends and value added services in the cable television (CATV) sector,” said convenor of the event Pawan Jajodia to Indiantelevision.com.

     

    In keeping with the digitisation plans in Bangladesh, the year will see many LCOs from the country participating in the show as well.  

     

    All the major national multi system operators (MSOs) along with the regional MSOs are also likely put up their pavilions to show-case their service potential and new services, said a city-based MSO.

     

    Apart from the MSOs operating in the state, companies like Abhishek Cables, Alliance Broadband Services, Cisco Video Technology India and Zee Electronics among others are also putting up stalls to showcase their product and services.

     

    Advance Multisystem Broadband Communication (AMBC) will be displaying its Headend in the Sky (HITS) technology at the event, informed AMBC MD Sujit Das. While Manthan Broadband director Sudip Ghosh said the company will launch Video on demand (VoD) services apart from illustrating other products during the three day event.

     

    The event will see discussions around tax related issues, upcoming technology and providing technical assistance to small players. “Discussions on 4G and 4K technology will also be the highlight of the show,” informed Cable Operators Sangram Committee general secretary Apurba Bhattacharya.

     

    Sangram Committee, which recently extended its support to the Patna LMOs will offer membership to LMOs, along with technical and legal assistance. “We will also offer useful software at a low cost,” concluded Bhattacharya.

  • MSOs ask LCOs to collect CAFs from remaining cable homes in Kolkata

    MSOs ask LCOs to collect CAFs from remaining cable homes in Kolkata

    KOLKATA: That the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has asked MSOs in Kolkata to start gross (consumer) billing from 15 December, 2013, indiantelevision.com had already reported. Word just in is that MSOs in the Kolkata Municipal Area (KMA) have requested local cable operators (LCOs) to expedite the process of collecting Consumer Application Forms (CAF) and channel package details from the remaining five per cent of nearly 30 lakh cable TV homes in the city.

     

    “We are asking the LCOs to cooperate and collect the remaining five per cent CAF so that we can start generating accurate bills against their names,” said SitiCable Network director Suresh Sethia, adding that the region had already collected 95-97 per cent CAF. 

     

    Manthan Broadband Services director Sudip Ghosh informed that apart from taking details from consumers in the prescribed handwritten format, “MSOs have also created a system in their servers, where LCOs could send CAF details to further advance the process of DAS.”

     

    Meanwhile, an official from GTPL-KCBPL said the company had got CAF and SAF details of only over five lakh customers out of the seven lakh active set top boxes (STBs). “Unless we get the CAF and SAF details, we cannot generate bills in the names of the customers,” he remarked. “But we will try to complete the process for the remaining 2 lakh customers and give bills to them in the next one or two months,” he added after a pause.

     

    According to few industry sources, while players like SitiCable and Manthan have said they have achieved 100 per cent CAF rate, it is possible they haven’t accounted for situations where certain households have two set top boxes and the consumers haven’t gone through the CAF process or homes that have been closed after the residents left the city and so on. Still, other sources questioned how MSOs can start the billing process when they haven’t yet started the package.

  • Kolkata MSOs won’t change package price till June 2014

    Kolkata MSOs won’t change package price till June 2014

    KOLKATA: On 6 December last year, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) met the multi-system operators (MSOs) in Kolkata to extend the deadline for initiating gross (consumer) billing from 10 December to 15 December.

     

    Now, the MSOs have assured cable TV subscribers that they will try and keep the package price unchanged till June this year, although they are contemplating a price rise post June.

     

    The MSOs have also requested subscribers to collect bills from local cable operators (LCOs) before dishing out the subscription fee for January. This is to bring in transparency in the billing process for the Kolkata Municipal Area (KMA).   

     

    It is further learnt that the MSOs are meeting regularly to discuss smooth rollout of gross billing in the KMA area, especially after having been asked by the West Bengal as well as central government authorities to expedite the billing process.

     

    Said Manthan Broadband Services director Sudip Ghosh: “We will continue with the package and we all are trying to keep the price of package untouched till June. The MSOs will try to absorb the cost themselves.

     

    According to Siticable Kolkata director Suresh Sethia, the entire process would take some time. “Customers are happy. Operators too want the billing to be in place. Also, we have put up advertisements in newspapers for consumer awareness regarding billing apart from local channels,” he said.

     

    As per TRAI regulations, subscribers get a period of 15 days from the date of the bill to make the payment.

     

    “In case the subscriber fails to make the payment after the expiry of the due date of payment, we will charge interest on the outstanding amount,” Sethia informed.

     

    Director of Den, Sanjoy Basu, opined that the new facility introduced as per the TRAI regulations would usher greater transparency in billing.

     

    With nearly 30 lakh cable homes, gross billing is definitely expected to regularise the hitherto ad-hoc system of billing.

  • TRAI asks Kolkata MSOs to start gross billing by next week

    TRAI asks Kolkata MSOs to start gross billing by next week

    KOLKATA: It was just last week that indiantelevision.com reported that Kolkata multi-system operators (MSOs) are likely to start the gross (consumer) billing process from 10 December following a directive by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

    Now, TRAI met the MSOs again on 6 December and has asked them to start the billing process by 15 December.

    Kolkata has around 30 lakh cable television homes. As of now, an informal billing process is in place, but with effect from November, customers may have to pay the bill as per the package. “Collection may come in the next two-three months,” said Siticable Kolkata director Suresh Sethia.

    “Billing for the November package will start by 15 December. We will also advertise in newspapers and on our local channels to make our consumers aware about this development,” added Sethia.

    Siticable has around 10-11 lakh STBs in Kolkata Digital Addressable System-I (DAS-I) area.

    Explaining the details of the bill payment process, one of the MSOs informed that if a customer has chosen a package of Rs 180, he will have to pay Rs 180 + Rs 10 (amusement tax) + 12.36 per cent of Rs 180 (service tax) in the coming time.

    The billing system will bring transparency and organise the business, however, some operators are opposing it.

    But, the view of the majority is that only digitalisation can bring uniformity and a system in the so-called unorganised sector. Manthan Broadband director Sudip Ghosh said, “Billing is the first step to inform consumers of the changed ecosystem in a digitised environment.”

  • Kolkata may bill cable TV consumers from 10 December

    Kolkata may bill cable TV consumers from 10 December

    KOLKATA: On 29 November,  indiantelevision.com  had reported that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) pushed the deadline for MSOs to submit duly-filled CAFs (Consumer Application Forms) to 15 December, also asking them to implement gross/direct billing by December.

    The latest development is that Kolkata is likely to start the billing process from 10 December.
    Said Siticable Kolkata director Suresh Sethia: “We have been prepared for a long time but since some MSO’s were not ready, we had to wait.  Now, everyone has agreed to bill as per package from 10 November. We will put the bills on the system. The operators will distribute the same to subscribers. The bills will mention amusement tax and service tax components separately.”

    If all goes well, Kolkata will end up leading the pack as players in other metros are targeting January, in some cases even the last quarter of the current fiscal to start direct billing.
    Popular perception is that direct billing will bring transparency and order into an otherwise largely unorganised business.

    Director Manthan Broadband Sudip Ghosh said: “Billing is the first step to inform consumers of the changed ecosystem in a digitised environment.”

    However, several MSOs are opposing the process. Sources reveal that though Kolkata has some 30 lakh cable homes, MSOs like DEN and Digicable haven’t even started the package, let alone starting direct billing.

    Swapan Chowdhury, convener of the Cable Operators Digitalisation Committee of the Association of Cable Operators, too felt that with DAS not implemented properly in the city, packages not available and technical problems in the software and system used for direct billing, it could be said the government was simply putting pressure on the MSOs to collect taxes easily. “No one is concerned about the operators,” he said.

    Apurba Bhattacharya, general secretary, Cable Operators Sangram Committee too opined that everything was a hodge podge in DAS I.

    Cable TV analyst Mrinal Chatterjee pointed out that many customers weren’t paying the rentals. “Bill should be introduced. As the central and state government too is losing tax unless the bill is introduced. Some MSOs claim that they are ready with the bill and the backend system needed for it but they are not!” she said.

    Media analyst Namit Dave posed a very real question: “At a time when some CAFs are not filled in and customers are unable to see their favourite channels even after opting for the preferred bouquet as offered in the channel package, is the city ready to take on direct billing?”

  • Kolkata MSOs to blackout TV tonight

    Kolkata MSOs to blackout TV tonight

    KOLKATA: Looks like cable TV consumers in Howrah will have to sacrifice on their favourite shows with few multiple system operators (MSOs) deciding to switch off signals if they do not receive duly filled customer application forms (CAFs) till end of the day today. The decision comes in view of the deadline set by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) for submission of CAFs by 15 November.

     

    Around 40 per cent cable TV viewers in the city are subscribed to SitiCable. The MSO has not requested the regulator for any extension for CAF submission. SitiCable Kolkata director Suresh Sethia says, “We have already collected 90 per cent of CAFS. We expect the rest to be submitted today, if not, we will switch off signals from tonight.”

     

    Resonating the same is Manthan, which has installed 20-25 per cent STBs of the total five lakh STBs installed in the region.  “While a few have submitted CAFs, others will send it soon,” informs Manthan director Sudip Ghosh.

     

    The announcement is a shocker for many, as confusion over the city being a part of DAS phase II still remains. It is learnt that MSOs like KCBPL-GTPL among others are running analogue signals in DAS II areas.

     

    Industry insiders blame lack of an organisation for irregularities. “There is no such designated organisation that can regulate the system here,” says a source.

     

    The cause of ineffectiveness could also be because a few local cable operators (LCOs) have assured customers that they do not fall under DAS phase II and thus customers have not invested in the set top boxes (STBs).

     

    Talking about the prevailing confusion over DAS in Howrah, Sethia says, “Though most areas were covered during phase I, TRAI has to define whether the border of Howrah falls under phase II or not? There needs to be a clarification.”

     

    The city faces another issue. If Cable Operators Sangram Committee general secretary Apurba Bhattacharya is to be believed, subscribers who have submitted the duly filled CAFs are yet to see the change on their TV screens. “Even after filling the CAF and opting for preferred bouquet of channels, nothing has changed for viewers in Howrah,” he informs.

     

    Bhattacharya however believes that the MSOs will not switch off signals. “I foresee an extension in the cutoff date,” he says.

     

    Earlier a few LCOs had blamed festivities for slow down of work. “Since festivities are over now, both customers and LCOs should take the initiative and submit their details to MSOs,” opine city-based analysts.