Need More Time For Cable Digitization

The district administration Hyderabad has sought a three-month extension to complete cable TV digitization in the city even as the interim relief provided by the high court is coming to an end this week.

TV sets without the set-top boxes in the city went blank on April 1 after the Centre-set deadline for cable TV digitization elapsed on March 31. Services resumed only on April 3, after the HC granted an interim order, restraining authorities against forcibly implementing the move.

Meanwhile, the district administration reportedly was in a dilemma whether the digitization diktat applies to Greater Hyderabad or to old MCH area. It was only on Saturday that the nodal office for digitization of cable networks in the district learnt from the Centre that the entire GHMC area must be covered under phase-II of digitization programme, which includes 38 cities in the country.

Until now the Union ministry of information and broadcasting had maintained that only 8.96 lakh connections have to be digitized. This represents erstwhile Hyderabad core area (old MCH).

"Earlier this month we wrote to the Centre on clarification on jurisdiction for implementing digitization. We received a reply on Saturday that the programme is for the entire GHMC and not just the old Hyderabad area. To complete implementation, we have sought a three-month extension," said Hyderabad district joint collector E Sreedhar.

Official estimates of total number of cable TV connections in greater Hyderabad area stands at 25 to 28 lakh. However the actual number is expected to be much higher given that there are 34.3 lakh CPDCL consumers in greater Hyderabad.

Though Multi System Operators (MSOs) maintain that there are sufficient boxes available with them to meet digitization needs, it was learnt from official sources that not more than 30% of the total demand can be met at this time.

The sudden increase in the demand for set-top boxes in the last one month has caused shortage of not only among the cable operators, but in the open market as well.

Source: http://cablequest.org/news/digitization-news/item/2116-need-more-time-for-cable-digitization.htmlSource: http://cablequest.org/news/digitization-news/item/2116-need-more-time-for-cable-digitization.html