CAFs: Mumbai switch offs begin

As warned by TRAI, the Switch off of television signals has already started in Delhi in phased manner due to non submission of Consumer Application Forms. Presently 75 to 80 percent of CAF has been collected in Delhi.

Following a meeting held on 2 August with MSOs operating in Mumbai and Kolkata, a decision has been taken that the time for carrots is over, now one needs to use the stick to get customers to get moving on their CAFs. And that stick is like Delhi is switching off their cable TV service, if the CAF is not yet in.

“There will be no further extensions like in the past," says a senior TRAI official. "In fact, the switch offs have already begun from 3 August. The process for switching off the set top boxes will take at least four to five days because we are talking about a huge number.”

TRAI had given 23rd August as the deadline for submission of CAF. In Kolkata with the ongoing MSO-LCO dispute, the CAF collection has been the minimal.

The TRAI official says that Kolkata should not expect to be treated with kid's gloves. “When Delhi can meet the deadline why not Kolkata?" he questions. "We are sure that Kolkata will be able to meet the 23 August deadline as it does not have any other option."

Hathway Cable & Datacom MD & CEO Jagdish Kumar said his network has started switching off TV signals of subscribers who have failed to submit their CAF from 3rd August. He claimed only 80 per cent of the forms completely filled were collected and progressing steadily.”

Source: http://cablequest.org/news/digitization-news/item/2987-cafs-mumbai-switch-offs-begin.htmlSource: http://cablequest.org/news/digitization-news/item/2987-cafs-mumbai-switch-offs-begin.html