Digital debate ahead of cable switch

Cable operators argue that the number of cable television subscribers in each metropolis is much higher than the ministry has estimated,and that the percentage of set-top boxes seeded so far is,therefore,much lower.

Even Ashok Mansukhani,president of the MSO Alliance,an association of multi-system operators,appeared unsure about the figures for Chennai and Kolkata. He was,however,sure that the transition would be smooth in Delhi and Mumbai.

He says there is no shortage of set-top boxes. Cable operators say there is. Those who had multiple television sets were waiting to see who is giving the better option DTH or cable, Mansukhani says. And these sections have slowly begun to make up their minds because of the publicity blitzkrieg being carried out by the ministry and realising the threat of a blackout.

One reason for the slow progress,he says. is that a section of the cable operators are reluctant as they could be under the impression that the initiative might not take off.

Chennai

The Iamp;B ministry,relying on Census 2011 data,says Chennai has 10.56 lakh households with television sets,including DTH subscribers. It estimates there are about 4.37 lakh cable connections including offices and homes with more than one TV and that 60 per cent of these have been digitised. If the high number of DTH subscribers is taken into consideration,the extent of digitisation works out to 85 per cent.

While the government has cited the latest census figures to substantiate its claim,cable operators say the enumeration has not covered the aspect completely.

About 12 lakh colour television sets were distributed free in Chennai alone by the previous DMK regime as it was a poll promise, says Kayal RS Ilavarasu,president of Tamil Nadu Cable TV Owners Association. When a census enumerator goes to a house,he asks if they have a TV but not how many TVs. All this means the figures as claimed by the ministry does not convey the full picture.

Chennai Metro Cable TV Operators Association general secretary M R Srinivasan says the total requirement is of 40 lakh set-top boxes and claims the ministry has wrongly projected the figure of nearly 11 lakh. The government figure does not reflect the television sets in commercial establishments such as hotels,lodges,restaurants and shops, he says. He says only around 2.7 lakh set-top boxes have been installed so far against the total requirement of 40 lakh.

According to Ilavarasu,the digitisation drive is unlikely to be complete any time soon as multi-system operators themselves dont have enough set-top boxes even if all subscribers are willing to pay. The government-run Arasu Cable TV Corporation does not have a single set-top box till now. It began services in Chennai only a few days ago; not even tenders have been finalised. The Sun TV Groups Sumangali Cable Vision has about 2.50 lakh boxes,but these have received hardly any interest from the subscribers. The last MSO in Chennai,JAK,does not have enough equipment either. This ambitious plan to cover the whole city by the end of the month is just a pipe dream, Ilavarasu said.

Kolkata

According to the Iamp;B Ministry,the city has 19.90 lakh households with television sets and 16.85 lakh of these are cable TV houeholds. Adding offices and homes with more than one TV,the figure has been projected to 20.22 lakh. In addition,there are about 3.05 DTH subscribers; accounting for them raises digitisation from 74 per cent to 81.

The Cable Operators Digitisation Committee puts the requirement of set-top boxes at around 40 lakh twice the ministrys estimate. The organisations joint convener Swapan Chowdhury says installation of set-top boxes has not picked up pace adding to the slow progress is the long festive season and only about 40 per cent of the total requirement has been achieved so far.

The Kolkata Metropolitan Area has a total of eight multi-system operators. Four of them are major MSOs and only one,Siticable,has so far come out with the revenue-share arrangement with local cable operators. And the majority of the cable operators have declined to sign the agreement as they think its contents were arbitrary, he says.

Chowdhury said according to figures declared by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India at the end of June,installation of STBs had reached 20.67 per cent. The data showed no remarkable change when a stocktaking meeting was held in Delhi on August 30. How could it have jumped to 78 per cent within a span of two months?

This is a city where the digitisation drive has assumed political overtones too. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has already questioned the need for the Centres drive,saying it will affect the poor as set-top boxes are beyond their reach. Her stand has encouraged cable operators to go slow.

Delhi amp; Mumbai

For Delhi,the government puts the total number of cable television subscribers at 23.93 lakh while cable operators say the figure is somewhere between 40 and 42 lakh.

A S Kohli of West Delhi Cable Operators Association said around 45-50 per cent of the required set-top boxes have been seeded so far. It is progressing well in middle-class colonies and posh areas. But smaller colonies have been left out. We apprehend law and order problems in these areas once the analogue delivery of cable television is shut from November 1, he says.

Mansukhani says almost 80 per cent of the set-top-box deployment is happening in Delhi alone.

While cable operators question the progress made in Mumbai,too,both the government and the MSO Alliance argue that the metro has achieved near-complete digitisation. The MSO Alliance puts the figure at over 90 per cent,while the government says it is nearly 100 per cent. Atul Saraf,general secretary of the Cable Operators Federation of India,says installation of boxes has not crossed even 65 per cent.

Ministry says8230;

60

Digitisation done in Chennai till last friday,of 4.37 lakh cable connections. total digitisation is 85 when 6.92 lakh DTH subscribers are factored in.

78

In Kolkata,of 20.22 lakh cable connections. Total digitisation is 81 if 3.05 lakh DTH subscribers are factored into total.

74

In Delhi,of 23.93 lakh cable connections,and picking up. Total digitisation 81 when 9.45 lakh DTH subscribers factored in.

100

Or almost,in Mumbai,of the citys 18.56 lakh cable connections. City has 7.27 lakh DTH subscribers.