80% CAF collected in Phase II cities: Parameswaran

The multi-system operators (MSOs) have completed 80 per cent customer application form (CAF) collection in the 38 cities covered under Phase II of digital addressable system (DAS), Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Principal Advisor N Parameswaran said. 

N-Parameswaran02While asserting that cable TV digitisation in Phase II cities has been completed, the TRAI Principal Advisor revealed that 12 million set-top boxes (STBs) have been seeded in DAS Phase II cities. 

“Phase II of cable digitisation in 38 cities is complete. This means 12 million STBs have been seeded, and we have received about 80 per cent consumer applications forms. We have put rules in place to protect the interests of consumers, and the regulator is pressing cable companies to implement these rules,” Parameswaran said. 

After multiple extensions, the TRAI had set 31 December as the final deadline for completing CAF collection. With only 80 per cent CAFs received, the MSOs will now have to switch off STBs of subscribers who have failed to submit their CAF, as per TRAI diktat. 

With majority of CAFs received, the authority will now push for subscriber billing in Phase II cities just as it did in Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata, the cities covered under Phase I of DAS. 

With Phase I and II of DAS almost complete, the stage is now set for Phase III and Phase IV of DAS that are expected to be completed by 31 December 2014.

Parameswaran also said that the regulator will come out with its recommendations on the new direct-to-home (DTH) licences in January itself. 

“We have received additional comments. We are going through that and formulating the recommendations. I can’t give a committed timeframe but it should be in this month,” Parameswaran stated.

Source: http://cablequest.org/news/digitization-news/item/3953-80-caf-collected-in-phase-ii-cities-parameswaran.htmlSource: http://cablequest.org/news/digitization-news/item/3953-80-caf-collected-in-phase-ii-cities-parameswaran.html