Tag: Trai

TDSAT to hear LCO cases against Siti Cable and Hathway afresh in light of new TRAI regulations

NEW DELHI: Local cable operators who are members of Karnataka State Digital Cable TV Operators Welfare Association and the Cable Operators Sangram Association of Kolkata have told the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal that they will not migrate to any other distributor without seeking prior permission from the tribunal.

This assurance was given in three cases – one filed by the Karnataka Association against Siti Cable Networks, and the other two by the Kolkata body against Hathway Cable and Datacom. Counsel Nittin Bhatia made the statement on behalf of the members of these association who were involved in the petitions.

The tribunal was informed by Siti Cable counsel Tejveer Singh Bhatia and Hathway counsel Jayant K. Mehta about the notifications issued by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India on 7 January and 15 March this year which ‘make some fundamental changes in the DAS Interconnection Regulations and have a direct bearing upon the controversies in these cases.’

Chairman Justice Aftab Alam and member B B Srivastava listed the matter for 27 April for hearing the parties further in the light of the amendments introduced in the DAS Interconnect Regulations.

The tribunal said that “In the meanwhile, the respondents may apprise the respective petitioners separately and also through their counsel Mr Nittin Bhatia regarding the rates and the terms and conditions including the respective rights and obligations of the parties under clause 10 of Schedule IV of the notification dated 15 March 2016, that the respondents might have executed with any other LCO operating in that area.”

The Tribunal also made it clear that if any of the LCOs being represented through these petitions were willing to execute the agreement with the respondents on those terms, they were free to do so.

April 8, 2016
TRAI commences exercise at inter-operaability of STBs, isses pre-Consultation Paper

New Delhi: Noting the need for inter-operability of set top boxes as the country races towards completion of the final phase of digital addressable systems, the Telecom Regulatory Authority asked stakeholders for their opinion on the best methods for such inter-operability.

In a scenario where the government itself admits that Indian-made STBs are a mere ten per cent, it is even more imperative to find ways of smoother inter-operability since most of the STBs will be of foreign make.

In a pre-consultation paper on set top box interoperability issued today, TRAI has related the methods of inter-operability followed in Europe, Asia and the United States and asked the stakeholders to give their views by 29 April. Views have been invited from various organizations, industry bodies, standardization bodies,
STB manufacturers, chip vendors, conditional access system providers, software providers, stakeholders, experts, individuals etc

Answers have been sought to just three questions: what are the concerns that should be takencare of at the time of development of framework of interoperable of STBs; what are the techno-commercial reasons for non-interoperability of STBs; and the plausible solutions for technical interoperability of STBs and their impact on the sector’s growth.

After giving examples from around the world, the paper said there can be various possible solutions. But the views of stakeholders are necessary before starting any discussion on the possible solutions and to arrive at a common minimum agreement ofadoption of any specific standards and the way forward.

The paper also says stakeholders are free to give any relevant feedback for thedevelopment of technical inter-operability both within specific segment (cable TV and DTH) and across the segments (among cable TV and DTH operators).

The paper also lists the steps already taken by TRAI.

Based on the recommendations of TRAI for technical interoperability of STBs, theGovernment has mandated the provision of CI slot in the STBs deployed by DTH serviceproviders. The CI slot exists in the already deployed DTH STBs.

However TRAI said this effort has not been fruitful in meeting the objective of interoperabilityin India due to various reasons. These are: the availability of CI slot alone is not sufficient toachieve effective technical interoperability as other modules of STB like tuner, middleware, operating system; EPG etc. also require updation on change of service provider; DTHoperators are following different versions of standards for compression, and transmission; most of the DTH operators have not offered to customers the option of CAM card in place ofSTB; and the cost of CAM card is more or less equal to the new STB. It may be due to non-availability of economies of scale.

TRAI said it has notified tariff order prescribing standard tariff package for STBs, which provide an easy exit option to the consumers, who want to change their service providers due to one reason or the other. But the tariff order applicable for DTH is sub-judice as it is pending adjudication.

The paper says broadcasting of TV signals over distribution networks involves various steps like compression, encryption, transmission etc. For each purpose, different technologies andtheir versions have evolved over a period of time. The rules and regulations prescribed bythe government and the regulator provide freedom of choosing technology to serviceproviders. Accordingly, according to their business plans, individual service provider havechosen and implemented different technologies and their versions. The adoption of different versions of technical standards by service providers is one of the reasons for non–interoperability of STBs.

The issue relating to technical interoperability mainly hover around the question ofinteroperability of STBs, between two platforms viz DTH and cable; and question of inter-operability of STBs within the same platform i.e. with in cable or DTH systems. Further, withina platform, there could be a question of inter-operability of STBs across the different serviceproviders using the same make of CAS. Presently, STB inter-operability is not functional atany level.

The main technical reasons of STB non inter-operability are: different methods of EMM andECM encryption: ECM and EMM messages are carried in an encrypted form. Whereas DVBhas standardized the scrambling algorithm for scrambling of a channel (DVB-CSA), algorithms used for ECM/ EMM encryption are not standardized.

Different Modulation standards: using DVB-C standard whereas the signal is modulatedusing DVB-S standard in DTH. For a STB to be able to receive signal both from DTH andcable, there will be a requirement of switchable demodulator unit. Further, efficient versions namely DVB-C2 and DVB-S2 have been deployed by the operators. While the later versionsare backward compatible, earlier versions are not forward compatible. Therefore, it restrictsthe STB interoperability across the platforms as well as within the same platform using differentversions of standards.

In digital TV transmission, compression plays a very important role. There are two prominent compression standards in use today. In India, most of the operators have used, either MPEG2or MPEG4 standard for compression. In cable TV sector, due to cost advantage andavailability of sufficient bandwidth in the network, most of the STBs deployed till now are ofMPEG2 standard. While the MPEG4 standard is backward compatible, MPEG2 standard is not forward compatible. Therefore, MPEG2 compliant STBs cannot work in the MPEG4 networks.

Operating system/ middleware and EPG (Electronic Program Guide) boot loaders are specificto chip vendors and it allows the updating of STB software by specific operators afterproper verification. There is no standard operating system for STBs. DVB hasdeveloped multimedia home platform (MHP) as a standard for middleware. However the sameis not popular. Proprietary middleware, with non-standard APIs, are in use. It ensures that, theapplication software can be updated by specific operators only. Special end user applicationslike EPG installed over middleware are also unique for each operator.

The pay TV service providers are concerned about the piracy of content. They have expressedtheir apprehension about fake STBs that may be used to capture information from a validsmart card and that information may be misused to produce fake/clone smart cards. Further,the stakeholders have raised their concern about the common scrambling algorithm (DVB-CSA) which is a 48 bit scrambling mechanism, and can be broken with the help of highcapacity processors.

Therefore, the service providers are reluctant to use DVB-CSA. Operators due to theconcerns of piracy make the STB tightly coupled by integrating the Conditional Access Sub System into the chip.

All these become an impediment when a subscriber wishes to migrate to a different serviceprovider while attempting to use the same STB, and leads to concerns relating to technical inter operability.

April 4, 2016
TRAI commences exercise at inter-operaability of STBs, isses pre-Consultation Paper

New Delhi: Noting the need for inter-operability of set top boxes as the country races towards completion of the final phase of digital addressable systems, the Telecom Regulatory Authority asked stakeholders for their opinion on the best methods for such inter-operability.

In a scenario where the government itself admits that Indian-made STBs are a mere ten per cent, it is even more imperative to find ways of smoother inter-operability since most of the STBs will be of foreign make.

In a pre-consultation paper on set top box interoperability issued today, TRAI has related the methods of inter-operability followed in Europe, Asia and the United States and asked the stakeholders to give their views by 29 April. Views have been invited from various organizations, industry bodies, standardization bodies,
STB manufacturers, chip vendors, conditional access system providers, software providers, stakeholders, experts, individuals etc

Answers have been sought to just three questions: what are the concerns that should be takencare of at the time of development of framework of interoperable of STBs; what are the techno-commercial reasons for non-interoperability of STBs; and the plausible solutions for technical interoperability of STBs and their impact on the sector’s growth.

After giving examples from around the world, the paper said there can be various possible solutions. But the views of stakeholders are necessary before starting any discussion on the possible solutions and to arrive at a common minimum agreement ofadoption of any specific standards and the way forward.

The paper also says stakeholders are free to give any relevant feedback for thedevelopment of technical inter-operability both within specific segment (cable TV and DTH) and across the segments (among cable TV and DTH operators).

The paper also lists the steps already taken by TRAI.

Based on the recommendations of TRAI for technical interoperability of STBs, theGovernment has mandated the provision of CI slot in the STBs deployed by DTH serviceproviders. The CI slot exists in the already deployed DTH STBs.

However TRAI said this effort has not been fruitful in meeting the objective of interoperabilityin India due to various reasons. These are: the availability of CI slot alone is not sufficient toachieve effective technical interoperability as other modules of STB like tuner, middleware, operating system; EPG etc. also require updation on change of service provider; DTHoperators are following different versions of standards for compression, and transmission; most of the DTH operators have not offered to customers the option of CAM card in place ofSTB; and the cost of CAM card is more or less equal to the new STB. It may be due to non-availability of economies of scale.

TRAI said it has notified tariff order prescribing standard tariff package for STBs, which provide an easy exit option to the consumers, who want to change their service providers due to one reason or the other. But the tariff order applicable for DTH is sub-judice as it is pending adjudication.

The paper says broadcasting of TV signals over distribution networks involves various steps like compression, encryption, transmission etc. For each purpose, different technologies andtheir versions have evolved over a period of time. The rules and regulations prescribed bythe government and the regulator provide freedom of choosing technology to serviceproviders. Accordingly, according to their business plans, individual service provider havechosen and implemented different technologies and their versions. The adoption of different versions of technical standards by service providers is one of the reasons for non–interoperability of STBs.

The issue relating to technical interoperability mainly hover around the question ofinteroperability of STBs, between two platforms viz DTH and cable; and question of inter-operability of STBs within the same platform i.e. with in cable or DTH systems. Further, withina platform, there could be a question of inter-operability of STBs across the different serviceproviders using the same make of CAS. Presently, STB inter-operability is not functional atany level.

The main technical reasons of STB non inter-operability are: different methods of EMM andECM encryption: ECM and EMM messages are carried in an encrypted form. Whereas DVBhas standardized the scrambling algorithm for scrambling of a channel (DVB-CSA), algorithms used for ECM/ EMM encryption are not standardized.

Different Modulation standards: using DVB-C standard whereas the signal is modulatedusing DVB-S standard in DTH. For a STB to be able to receive signal both from DTH andcable, there will be a requirement of switchable demodulator unit. Further, efficient versions namely DVB-C2 and DVB-S2 have been deployed by the operators. While the later versionsare backward compatible, earlier versions are not forward compatible. Therefore, it restrictsthe STB interoperability across the platforms as well as within the same platform using differentversions of standards.

In digital TV transmission, compression plays a very important role. There are two prominent compression standards in use today. In India, most of the operators have used, either MPEG2or MPEG4 standard for compression. In cable TV sector, due to cost advantage andavailability of sufficient bandwidth in the network, most of the STBs deployed till now are ofMPEG2 standard. While the MPEG4 standard is backward compatible, MPEG2 standard is not forward compatible. Therefore, MPEG2 compliant STBs cannot work in the MPEG4 networks.

Operating system/ middleware and EPG (Electronic Program Guide) boot loaders are specificto chip vendors and it allows the updating of STB software by specific operators afterproper verification. There is no standard operating system for STBs. DVB hasdeveloped multimedia home platform (MHP) as a standard for middleware. However the sameis not popular. Proprietary middleware, with non-standard APIs, are in use. It ensures that, theapplication software can be updated by specific operators only. Special end user applicationslike EPG installed over middleware are also unique for each operator.

The pay TV service providers are concerned about the piracy of content. They have expressedtheir apprehension about fake STBs that may be used to capture information from a validsmart card and that information may be misused to produce fake/clone smart cards. Further,the stakeholders have raised their concern about the common scrambling algorithm (DVB-CSA) which is a 48 bit scrambling mechanism, and can be broken with the help of highcapacity processors.

Therefore, the service providers are reluctant to use DVB-CSA. Operators due to theconcerns of piracy make the STB tightly coupled by integrating the Conditional Access Sub System into the chip.

All these become an impediment when a subscriber wishes to migrate to a different serviceprovider while attempting to use the same STB, and leads to concerns relating to technical inter operability.

April 4, 2016
How ready is India for the digital disruption?

MUMBAI: The Indian media and entertainment industry is enamoured by the possibilities that the digital world poses for it. Within digital, ‘video’ and ‘mobile’ seem to be most used and often abused words. To tap in and make the most of this ‘digital video’ revolution that the country is set to see in 2016, several small and big players have rolled out or planned VOD or OTT services..

But is India ready for this digital disruption? Have those who are betting high on the success of the video business really taken into consideration the groundwork and infrastructure needed to actually make profit? Moderator and Bloomberg TV India consulting editor Vikram Oza raised these questions at FICCI Frames 2016 during a panel discussion – ‘And the walls came tumbling down : Digital disruption.’ In front of him on the panel were – SPN digital business EVP Uday Sodhi, Viacom18 Digital Ventures COO Gaurav Gandhi, HOOQ cofounder and content head Krishnan Rajagopalan, Arre COO Ajay Chacko and Elemental Tecnologies SVP Daniel Marshal – each a pioneer of digital world in his own right.

Within the first fifteen minutes into the discussion, the audience had a good idea of where things stood in the digital video business. “While a fair bit of 3G and 4G is taking off, the industry is still at a nascent stage to make assumptions. Monetization, bandwidth and content needed to fall in place to set the groundwork going,” said Sodhi summing it up.

When posed a query on bandwidth costs and subscription issues, Gandhi gave an optimistic perspective. “Currently the data prices are very high. So much of the consumption behaviour we are seeing will drastically change as the bandwidth opens up and becomes cheaper. We need to aim for a setting when data prices become part of everyone’s utility bill. That is when no one will hesitate from paying for an OTT service.”

Marshal added his take from his experience of the international market and how it played out there. “What I have observed in the US is that there are more users with multiple subscriptions since the combined cost is still less than what people used to pay for their cable subscriptions. If India has to really see the end of this convergence, adaptability and bandwidth needs to be worked on heavily,” he suggested.

Another variable that is a hindrance for digital convergence is the complicated and poor payment gateways. “It is true that in India the present payment gateway options are a major challenge to both the service provider and the consumers. From my experience, a huge part of willing consumers put off payments because of the payment method. It is indeed a big challenge and a part of it is that people are still hesitant to trust their money with online payments. Thus the adoption is lower. TRAI tried to deal with the issue by strengthening the security process in the transaction and sort of got overzealous with it, which is costing the industry in a different way. I would say it will take another 5 years for the payment options to be easy and secure and ready to handle the digital disruption,” Sodhi opined.

With everyone jumping on the mobile video bandwagon and promising an on demand video service, was there a need for the players to differentiate their offerings? After all, according to Google research, the current range of smartphones in the market allowed users to have only few apps before their devices slowed down. While the industry remained a free market, this clearly meant that only few services would survive this tough competition and make their way to the users’ handsets.

To put matters into perspective, Gandhi said, “Currently 85 per cent of the content is owned between the five major TV networks and the two TV studios. The content offered by their OTT players may look homogenous because our first natural instinct is to put forth the existing content from our TV and movie library. But newer original content for the web is also being produced currently.”

Rajagopalan shared that his OTT service HOOQ, which already has a large presence in the international market, is banking on its large Hollywood movie library as the differentiating factor. “Apart from that we have also identified regional and smaller studios that don’t have a contract with major broadcasters’ networks in India to provide us with fresh content. So ours is an international and regional approach.”

Acknowledging the need to create web only content, instead of banking on existing libraries, Chacko added, “What an audience individually consumes is different social viewing. The content itself needs to be disruptive if it were to survive these initial years of just investment and to break even eventually. Each player will work on its strengths and try everything and anything between micropayments (or pay per view revenue model) to ad-funded content.”

It is obvious from the discussions that there is a long way to go for India to reach a point when these OTT players can reap the optimum benefits of what they are sowing as investment today. Will they be able to make it through the dry years ahead until the infrastructure and country is ready? Is it worth the time and money that they are putting in?

Chacko addressed this with a simple comparison to the eCommerce markets. “Compared to the eCommerce business there is almost no customer acquisition cost when it comes to digital media. What we gain organically is what these eCommerce brands pay millions of dollars for. Therefore, with an almost zero marketing budget one can sustain oneself in the industry as long as one has strong content,” Chacko said.

The panel also pointed out that digital video business paves way for an exponential growth. With better devices and network, the business will grow not just by tens but thousands so it made sense to invest in it.

The moderator then rolled the ball in the panellists court by asking them if their advertisers were buying these arguments that they gave in favour of the OTT/ digital business. The panellists unanimously agreed that media planners and buyers were excited about this newly evolving media. They were happy about giving an alternative to their clients and so were the advertisers, given the measurability and reach the media gave them.

April 4, 2016
How ready is India for the digital disruption?

MUMBAI: The Indian media and entertainment industry is enamoured by the possibilities that the digital world poses for it. Within digital, ‘video’ and ‘mobile’ seem to be most used and often abused words. To tap in and make the most of this ‘digital video’ revolution that the country is set to see in 2016, several small and big players have rolled out or planned VOD or OTT services..

But is India ready for this digital disruption? Have those who are betting high on the success of the video business really taken into consideration the groundwork and infrastructure needed to actually make profit? Moderator and Bloomberg TV India consulting editor Vikram Oza raised these questions at FICCI Frames 2016 during a panel discussion – ‘And the walls came tumbling down : Digital disruption.’ In front of him on the panel were – SPN digital business EVP Uday Sodhi, Viacom18 Digital Ventures COO Gaurav Gandhi, HOOQ cofounder and content head Krishnan Rajagopalan, Arre COO Ajay Chacko and Elemental Tecnologies SVP Daniel Marshal – each a pioneer of digital world in his own right.

Within the first fifteen minutes into the discussion, the audience had a good idea of where things stood in the digital video business. “While a fair bit of 3G and 4G is taking off, the industry is still at a nascent stage to make assumptions. Monetization, bandwidth and content needed to fall in place to set the groundwork going,” said Sodhi summing it up.

When posed a query on bandwidth costs and subscription issues, Gandhi gave an optimistic perspective. “Currently the data prices are very high. So much of the consumption behaviour we are seeing will drastically change as the bandwidth opens up and becomes cheaper. We need to aim for a setting when data prices become part of everyone’s utility bill. That is when no one will hesitate from paying for an OTT service.”

Marshal added his take from his experience of the international market and how it played out there. “What I have observed in the US is that there are more users with multiple subscriptions since the combined cost is still less than what people used to pay for their cable subscriptions. If India has to really see the end of this convergence, adaptability and bandwidth needs to be worked on heavily,” he suggested.

Another variable that is a hindrance for digital convergence is the complicated and poor payment gateways. “It is true that in India the present payment gateway options are a major challenge to both the service provider and the consumers. From my experience, a huge part of willing consumers put off payments because of the payment method. It is indeed a big challenge and a part of it is that people are still hesitant to trust their money with online payments. Thus the adoption is lower. TRAI tried to deal with the issue by strengthening the security process in the transaction and sort of got overzealous with it, which is costing the industry in a different way. I would say it will take another 5 years for the payment options to be easy and secure and ready to handle the digital disruption,” Sodhi opined.

With everyone jumping on the mobile video bandwagon and promising an on demand video service, was there a need for the players to differentiate their offerings? After all, according to Google research, the current range of smartphones in the market allowed users to have only few apps before their devices slowed down. While the industry remained a free market, this clearly meant that only few services would survive this tough competition and make their way to the users’ handsets.

To put matters into perspective, Gandhi said, “Currently 85 per cent of the content is owned between the five major TV networks and the two TV studios. The content offered by their OTT players may look homogenous because our first natural instinct is to put forth the existing content from our TV and movie library. But newer original content for the web is also being produced currently.”

Rajagopalan shared that his OTT service HOOQ, which already has a large presence in the international market, is banking on its large Hollywood movie library as the differentiating factor. “Apart from that we have also identified regional and smaller studios that don’t have a contract with major broadcasters’ networks in India to provide us with fresh content. So ours is an international and regional approach.”

Acknowledging the need to create web only content, instead of banking on existing libraries, Chacko added, “What an audience individually consumes is different social viewing. The content itself needs to be disruptive if it were to survive these initial years of just investment and to break even eventually. Each player will work on its strengths and try everything and anything between micropayments (or pay per view revenue model) to ad-funded content.”

It is obvious from the discussions that there is a long way to go for India to reach a point when these OTT players can reap the optimum benefits of what they are sowing as investment today. Will they be able to make it through the dry years ahead until the infrastructure and country is ready? Is it worth the time and money that they are putting in?

Chacko addressed this with a simple comparison to the eCommerce markets. “Compared to the eCommerce business there is almost no customer acquisition cost when it comes to digital media. What we gain organically is what these eCommerce brands pay millions of dollars for. Therefore, with an almost zero marketing budget one can sustain oneself in the industry as long as one has strong content,” Chacko said.

The panel also pointed out that digital video business paves way for an exponential growth. With better devices and network, the business will grow not just by tens but thousands so it made sense to invest in it.

The moderator then rolled the ball in the panellists court by asking them if their advertisers were buying these arguments that they gave in favour of the OTT/ digital business. The panellists unanimously agreed that media planners and buyers were excited about this newly evolving media. They were happy about giving an alternative to their clients and so were the advertisers, given the measurability and reach the media gave them.

April 4, 2016
TRAI issues draft regulations on register of interconnect agreements, wants comments by 25 April

New Delhi: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India today asked stakeholders to give their views on the periodicity and authenticity of the proposed register of interconnect agreements, apart from the format for such a register.

Stakeholders have been asked to post their comments by 25 April with counter-comments, if any, by 5 May to a consultation paper and a draft of the Register of Interconnect Agreements (Broadcasting and Cable Services) Regulations 2016.

The primary objective of register of interconnection regulations is to prescribe the contours of a reporting system to service providers to report interconnection agreement details to the Authority so as to enable it to maintain a register of interconnect agreements as per the provisions of TRAI Act. It is also useful for monitoring and analyzing market practices prevailing for interconnection agreements. Presently, the regulations mandate service providers to report the prescribed information annually.

One clause of the draft register is for ‘Reporting of information, relating to interconnect agreements, by broadcaster of pay channel and the distributor of TV channel’. It says every broadcaster of pay channel and distributor of TV Channel shall report the information relating to all interconnect agreements entered into by them or modifications or amendments or addendums thereto which have been signed before and after coming into effect of the regulations that are valid as on the date of commencement of the regulations and shall be reported within one month for the previous ones and by tenth of the month for the new ones.

A para on format of reports says: “Subject to the provisions contained in regulation 5 of the regulations, the broadcaster of pay channel and the distributor of TV Channel , as the case may be, shall furnish to the Authority, the information relating to the interconnect agreements in the formats specified in Schedule-I ( Format for broadcasters of pay channels), Schedule-II (Format for MSO and HITS Operator) or Schedule-III (Format DTH and IPTV Service provider) of the regulations as applicable.”

Stakeholders have been asked to provide suggestions on this regulation of draft regulations and also the formats given in schedules and told that they can also suggest modified format for reporting to make it simple and easy to file.

TRAI also wants comments on how it can be ensured that service providers report accurate details in compliance of regulations, and on digitally signed method of reporting the information.

TRAI wants to know why all information including commercial portion of register should not be made accessible to any interested stakeholders, and if the commercial information is to be made accessible, in which way can this commercial information be made accessible to fulfill the objective of non-discrimination.

If the commercial information is not made accessible to stakeholders, then in what form the provisions under clause (vii) and (viii) of Section 11 (1) (b) of TRAI Act be implemented in broadcasting and cable sector so that the objective of non-discrimination is also met simultaneously, the stakeholders have to state.

March 25, 2016
TRAI issues draft regulations on register of interconnect agreements, wants comments by 25 April

New Delhi: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India today asked stakeholders to give their views on the periodicity and authenticity of the proposed register of interconnect agreements, apart from the format for such a register.

Stakeholders have been asked to post their comments by 25 April with counter-comments, if any, by 5 May to a consultation paper and a draft of the Register of Interconnect Agreements (Broadcasting and Cable Services) Regulations 2016.

The primary objective of register of interconnection regulations is to prescribe the contours of a reporting system to service providers to report interconnection agreement details to the Authority so as to enable it to maintain a register of interconnect agreements as per the provisions of TRAI Act. It is also useful for monitoring and analyzing market practices prevailing for interconnection agreements. Presently, the regulations mandate service providers to report the prescribed information annually.

One clause of the draft register is for ‘Reporting of information, relating to interconnect agreements, by broadcaster of pay channel and the distributor of TV channel’. It says every broadcaster of pay channel and distributor of TV Channel shall report the information relating to all interconnect agreements entered into by them or modifications or amendments or addendums thereto which have been signed before and after coming into effect of the regulations that are valid as on the date of commencement of the regulations and shall be reported within one month for the previous ones and by tenth of the month for the new ones.

A para on format of reports says: “Subject to the provisions contained in regulation 5 of the regulations, the broadcaster of pay channel and the distributor of TV Channel , as the case may be, shall furnish to the Authority, the information relating to the interconnect agreements in the formats specified in Schedule-I ( Format for broadcasters of pay channels), Schedule-II (Format for MSO and HITS Operator) or Schedule-III (Format DTH and IPTV Service provider) of the regulations as applicable.”

Stakeholders have been asked to provide suggestions on this regulation of draft regulations and also the formats given in schedules and told that they can also suggest modified format for reporting to make it simple and easy to file.

TRAI also wants comments on how it can be ensured that service providers report accurate details in compliance of regulations, and on digitally signed method of reporting the information.

TRAI wants to know why all information including commercial portion of register should not be made accessible to any interested stakeholders, and if the commercial information is to be made accessible, in which way can this commercial information be made accessible to fulfill the objective of non-discrimination.

If the commercial information is not made accessible to stakeholders, then in what form the provisions under clause (vii) and (viii) of Section 11 (1) (b) of TRAI Act be implemented in broadcasting and cable sector so that the objective of non-discrimination is also met simultaneously, the stakeholders have to state.

March 25, 2016
TS Panesar: We see ARPU growing by at least 30 per cent.

With an aim to redefine, transform business dynamics and further strengthen the role of the local cable operator (LCO) in the distribution chain, Hathway has launched a special initiative – Hathway Connect. Launched in Bangalore on 28 January, Hathway Connect is designed to make the lives of LCOs easy and convenient by providing technology and support through a dedicated online portal, which will have detailed features that will allow the LCO to run his business efficiently and effectively, in turn, offering better quality and high standard customer experience. In a tete-a-tete Hathway Cable and Datacom Limited president-video business T S Panesar speaks on the launch of its new portal for LCOs ‘Hathway Connect’ and how it will shape the business in the coming days:

Q: What’s the idea behind Hathway Connect?

TSP: Digital technology is driving our lives, the whole world is moving towards technology enabled delivery and consumption. The cable TV industry in India is also moving towards complete digitization. Keeping in mind the changed environment, it is important for us to ensure that our entire cable TV distribution chain is technologically oriented and upgraded to keep with the current trends. We want our LCO partners to be empowered and be strengthened with technology to grow further and keep pace with the demands of the consumers. Overall, the objective is to offer a value proposition to the customers and give them a best-in-class experience.

Q: How do you think it’s different and how will it impact the LCOs?

TSP: The entire distribution chain in cable still works heavily on a B2B model with almost 90 per cent of the business taking place through the local cable operator. Until now, there has been no real initiative to strengthen the LCOs’ business, provide them with tools to bring a change in operations and improve customer service. Hathway Connect is a breakthrough approach where we are building technology through a dedicated portal to give the LCO a window to compete with the consumer driven DTH business. It’s time that we recognize the role of the LCO in the cable value chain, the country’s geography is vast and it’s through the LCO, that customers get to watch the best entertainment and information on TV. We cannot deny this reality and hence, as a responsible market leader, we have taken the mantle of upgrading and enhancing the LCO as an entity and providing him full access to control his business through technology. We are confident that it will have a positive impact on LCOs and customers as well as prove to be a game changer in the cable industry.

Q: What are the key aspects of the Hathway Connect initiative?

TSP: More than just a portal, Hathway Connect is a transformational initiativeand a detailed foray into empowering our LCO partners and the business overall through technology. With this dedicated portal, the LCO will have a host of powerful features that will make his life easy and convenient. Some of the key aspects that the portal offers to the LCO are online activation of new customers (E-CAF), package management, account balance management including integration with Bill desk, customer prepaid option, sending customized notifications to subscribers, specialized LCO helpdesk, Self-care through mobile APP amongst many others, which will help them to upgrade operations, create efficient and seamless processes, aid in effective monitoring, improve customer service and build a more robust business down-the-line. Sitting in his office, the LCO can now control his operations with just a click, manage his entire customer base with utmost ease, thus, reducing operational costs. The E-KYC is technology mandate of TRAI and Hathway is the first MSO to comply and launch it to digitally store consumer data. Further, the LCO has the access to handle his customers with all possible data points, tools and incentives and communication which will enhance the standard of services to customers.

Q: How do you envision the LCO in the digital regime?

TSP: Since the advent of cable TV in India, the LCO has been the driving force in building this industry brick by brick over the past decade and a half. LCOs connect the length and breadth of the country in a way that even DTH cannot match. The LCOs interaction with consumers on a one-to-one level and the personal experience he offers goes a long way back which makes him the heart of our business. Despite several questions raised on the existence of the LCO post digitization regime and his role diminishing forward, he continues to be that vital cog for MSOs in covering the wide geography of the country and would be even more critical in DAS 3 and 4 implementation, which would cover the interiors and heartland of India. The LCO will continue to exist and grow and our endeavour is to support and strengthen them with technology.

Q: How are you marketing this new initiative to the LCO fraternity?

TSP: We are promoting ‘Hathway Connect’ in a big way across our LCO partners. A dedicated portal has been developed and aesthetically designed in sync with our corporate brand look with enhanced features available for usage. To orient the LCOs, we are doing orientation sessions and welcome initiatives to introduce the programme to them in the most effective manner. In addition, training sessions on the portal and various features are being conducted on one-on-one level. We launched Hathway Connect in Bangalore on 28 January 2016 amidst a gathering of top LCOs and the portal was made Live on 1 February. Going forward, we are planning to roll-out Hathway Connect in the western region on 1 April followed by rest of the regions to make a Pan-India impact.

Q: Do you think the LCO is ready for this change?

TSP: There is no option but to embrace technology and adopt it in the best possible manner. The environment around us is changing rapidly and becoming competitive. Cable has been in existence since the last decade and half and has pioneered this industry. Today, DTH poses a challenge built mainly on cutting-edge technology and superior customer service, however, cable with its vast geographical strength and connect with the last mile has a big advantage which is still not explore to the fullest. The LCO has to realise his strength and we as pioneers in the business have taken this step to change their mind set, approach and give them the solution to become more competitive.

Let’s not forget, consumer demands are increasing, they are more informed and smart and technology and quality has to be top notch. If we need to be competitive and grow, change is required. We, at Hathway, have transformed our business significantly over the past couple of years which has taken us ahead of competition. It’s time for our LCO partners to upgrade and change to strengthen themselves.

Q: How do you see Cable growth in the coming year and how much of a role will ‘Hathway Connect’ play in this?

TSP: As I mentioned earlier, today as one of the leading MSO and broadband company, we reach over 1.2 crore cable subscribers with a digital base of over 96 lakh and 30 lakh broadband homes passed. Our business has evolved manifold and the kind of steps that we have taken in the last one year has clearly taken us notches ahead of competition, be it initiatives for implementing DAS, packaging foray and now Hathway Connect. Cable TV has the potential to grow profitably, provided the industry upgrades with technology to make processes and operations easy and convenient. We have always taken risks and introduced new steps to grow the revenue pie, Hathway Connect is also a big step in that direction.

Today, the LCO is our biggest asset and if we can transform them, there is a robust business ahead of us and we see ARPU growing by at least 30 per cent.

March 23, 2016
TS Panesar: We see ARPU growing by at least 30 per cent.

With an aim to redefine, transform business dynamics and further strengthen the role of the local cable operator (LCO) in the distribution chain, Hathway has launched a special initiative – Hathway Connect. Launched in Bangalore on 28 January, Hathway Connect is designed to make the lives of LCOs easy and convenient by providing technology and support through a dedicated online portal, which will have detailed features that will allow the LCO to run his business efficiently and effectively, in turn, offering better quality and high standard customer experience. In a tete-a-tete Hathway Cable and Datacom Limited president-video business T S Panesar speaks on the launch of its new portal for LCOs ‘Hathway Connect’ and how it will shape the business in the coming days:

Q: What’s the idea behind Hathway Connect?

TSP: Digital technology is driving our lives, the whole world is moving towards technology enabled delivery and consumption. The cable TV industry in India is also moving towards complete digitization. Keeping in mind the changed environment, it is important for us to ensure that our entire cable TV distribution chain is technologically oriented and upgraded to keep with the current trends. We want our LCO partners to be empowered and be strengthened with technology to grow further and keep pace with the demands of the consumers. Overall, the objective is to offer a value proposition to the customers and give them a best-in-class experience.

Q: How do you think it’s different and how will it impact the LCOs?

TSP: The entire distribution chain in cable still works heavily on a B2B model with almost 90 per cent of the business taking place through the local cable operator. Until now, there has been no real initiative to strengthen the LCOs’ business, provide them with tools to bring a change in operations and improve customer service. Hathway Connect is a breakthrough approach where we are building technology through a dedicated portal to give the LCO a window to compete with the consumer driven DTH business. It’s time that we recognize the role of the LCO in the cable value chain, the country’s geography is vast and it’s through the LCO, that customers get to watch the best entertainment and information on TV. We cannot deny this reality and hence, as a responsible market leader, we have taken the mantle of upgrading and enhancing the LCO as an entity and providing him full access to control his business through technology. We are confident that it will have a positive impact on LCOs and customers as well as prove to be a game changer in the cable industry.

Q: What are the key aspects of the Hathway Connect initiative?

TSP: More than just a portal, Hathway Connect is a transformational initiativeand a detailed foray into empowering our LCO partners and the business overall through technology. With this dedicated portal, the LCO will have a host of powerful features that will make his life easy and convenient. Some of the key aspects that the portal offers to the LCO are online activation of new customers (E-CAF), package management, account balance management including integration with Bill desk, customer prepaid option, sending customized notifications to subscribers, specialized LCO helpdesk, Self-care through mobile APP amongst many others, which will help them to upgrade operations, create efficient and seamless processes, aid in effective monitoring, improve customer service and build a more robust business down-the-line. Sitting in his office, the LCO can now control his operations with just a click, manage his entire customer base with utmost ease, thus, reducing operational costs. The E-KYC is technology mandate of TRAI and Hathway is the first MSO to comply and launch it to digitally store consumer data. Further, the LCO has the access to handle his customers with all possible data points, tools and incentives and communication which will enhance the standard of services to customers.

Q: How do you envision the LCO in the digital regime?

TSP: Since the advent of cable TV in India, the LCO has been the driving force in building this industry brick by brick over the past decade and a half. LCOs connect the length and breadth of the country in a way that even DTH cannot match. The LCOs interaction with consumers on a one-to-one level and the personal experience he offers goes a long way back which makes him the heart of our business. Despite several questions raised on the existence of the LCO post digitization regime and his role diminishing forward, he continues to be that vital cog for MSOs in covering the wide geography of the country and would be even more critical in DAS 3 and 4 implementation, which would cover the interiors and heartland of India. The LCO will continue to exist and grow and our endeavour is to support and strengthen them with technology.

Q: How are you marketing this new initiative to the LCO fraternity?

TSP: We are promoting ‘Hathway Connect’ in a big way across our LCO partners. A dedicated portal has been developed and aesthetically designed in sync with our corporate brand look with enhanced features available for usage. To orient the LCOs, we are doing orientation sessions and welcome initiatives to introduce the programme to them in the most effective manner. In addition, training sessions on the portal and various features are being conducted on one-on-one level. We launched Hathway Connect in Bangalore on 28 January 2016 amidst a gathering of top LCOs and the portal was made Live on 1 February. Going forward, we are planning to roll-out Hathway Connect in the western region on 1 April followed by rest of the regions to make a Pan-India impact.

Q: Do you think the LCO is ready for this change?

TSP: There is no option but to embrace technology and adopt it in the best possible manner. The environment around us is changing rapidly and becoming competitive. Cable has been in existence since the last decade and half and has pioneered this industry. Today, DTH poses a challenge built mainly on cutting-edge technology and superior customer service, however, cable with its vast geographical strength and connect with the last mile has a big advantage which is still not explore to the fullest. The LCO has to realise his strength and we as pioneers in the business have taken this step to change their mind set, approach and give them the solution to become more competitive.

Let’s not forget, consumer demands are increasing, they are more informed and smart and technology and quality has to be top notch. If we need to be competitive and grow, change is required. We, at Hathway, have transformed our business significantly over the past couple of years which has taken us ahead of competition. It’s time for our LCO partners to upgrade and change to strengthen themselves.

Q: How do you see Cable growth in the coming year and how much of a role will ‘Hathway Connect’ play in this?

TSP: As I mentioned earlier, today as one of the leading MSO and broadband company, we reach over 1.2 crore cable subscribers with a digital base of over 96 lakh and 30 lakh broadband homes passed. Our business has evolved manifold and the kind of steps that we have taken in the last one year has clearly taken us notches ahead of competition, be it initiatives for implementing DAS, packaging foray and now Hathway Connect. Cable TV has the potential to grow profitably, provided the industry upgrades with technology to make processes and operations easy and convenient. We have always taken risks and introduced new steps to grow the revenue pie, Hathway Connect is also a big step in that direction.

Today, the LCO is our biggest asset and if we can transform them, there is a robust business ahead of us and we see ARPU growing by at least 30 per cent.

March 23, 2016
TRAI to give its views on net neutrality soon, govt confident of achieving total digitization by year-end

New Delhi: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India is expected to come out with its final views on net neutrality in ‘a couple of months’, its chairman R S Sharma said today. He said that the Department of Telecom had sought a comprehensive view on net neutrality.

Speaking at the CASBAA India Forum 2016, he said TRAI had a month earlier ruled against Facebook’s Free Basics programme, upholding net neutrality and leaving a level playing field for all players. “No service provider shall offer or charge discriminatory tariffs for data services on the basis of content,” the TRAI said in the order on discriminatory pricing of data content.

“No service provider shall enter into any arrangement, agreement or contract, by whatever name called, with any person, natural or legal, that has the effect of discriminatory tariffs for data services being offered or charged to the consumer on the basis of content,” the order said. The matter came to a head when Airtel decided to charge separately for Internet-based calls, but withdrew its plan later after facing public protests.

He admitted that the regulations had not addressed various other concerns related to net neutrality in India but said TRAI had issued a consultation paper on the subject and also received various responses from both broadcasters and telecom service providers.

Sharma acknowledged the challenges and opportunities as the country witnesses the fourth phase of Digital Addressable System (DAS). He said, “TRAI is not here to promote legacy systems in cable TV where a structural monopoly exists. With the objective of providing the right of choice to the consumers, we will allow the march of technology. At the same time, for healthy growth of the sector, it is crucial to strike the right balance between all the stakeholders through a constructive dialogue.”

Taking lessons from the evolution of the telecom industry, Sharma urged the stakeholders in broadcasting to actively collaborate on issues like ‘infrastructure sharing’ and ‘set-top boxes’. “Today five or six telcos are willing to share one mobile tower showing how sharing and competition can go hand in hand. This can materialise in the broadcasting space as well. While TRAI has no plans to make infrastructure sharing mandatory, it may tweak the existing licensing system to provide support to the stakeholders who are interested in the idea,” he added.

The issue of interoperability of the set-top box was discussed at length and TRAI’s S K Gupta stressed on the importance of pushing the use of a common set-top box by different operators. He pointed out that cost of procuring and maintaining set-top boxes weighs heavily on the balance sheets of MSOs, LCOs and digital TV companies. He also said that interconnected agreements between LCOs and MSOs can give two-way cable networks to the end users.

Information and Broadcasting Ministry Joint Secretary (Broadcasting) R Jaya said “Phase IV of cable TV digitization is one of the most prominent routes to broadband connectivity which is key for providing services to citizens. It is high time for the industry to understand the value of interconnect agreements.” She also reassured that MIB will complete its cable TV digitization drive by the end of 2016.

At a later session, TRAI principal adviser U K Srivastava said that the regulations were being prepared on the basis of the responses received. Addressing a session on whether OTT can make a dent in India, he said OTT was now driving telecom service providers. Regulations were therefore needed to prevent manipulation or misuse. He did not rule out the possibility of another consultation paper in view of changes in technology. Essentially, he said the process had to be open and inclusive.

Answering a question, Srivastava said it was too early to talk about carriage fee etc., but the regulator would want to ensure that the consumer pays for the services he receives.

The forum examined the ripple effect of the country’s digitization initiative, bringing together all the stakeholders including multi-system operators (MSO), local cable operators (LCO), DTH players, satellite technology providers, and regulators, among others was Digital India: The Four Phases of Cable Enlightenment.

CASBAA’S CEO Christopher Slaughter set the tone by establishing the relation between the digitization of the cable TV system in India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Digital India campaign.

Later Ministry Director (B and C) Neeti Sarkar said the ministry has minimal intervention on the content side of the broadcasting industry. “We have made our procedures smoother by allowing single window clearance at the time of launching a new channel. Having said that, there has always been room for dialogue with all stakeholders,” she said.

TRAI advisor Sunil Kumar Singhal said that it is time to bring consumer at the centre stage and then create regulations. He said, “There is a trust deficit among stakeholders. In the last few years, significant investments have been made in the digitization drive. Now it is time for us to monetize these capabilities.”

Ministry special secretary J S Mathur talked about the recent developments in the media and broadcasting industry. “At the Ministry, the pace of permissions has scaled up. In the first three phases of digitization, we covered 70 million (7 crore) households. We also realize the need for a broadcasting policy and are willing to have more related conversations with all stakeholders,” he said.

March 23, 2016