PANAJI: Although local cable TV operators in the state have got a reprieve in switching over to digital transmission through a notification issued by the ministry of information and broadcasting recently, the digitalisation process of cable network in the state looks as if it is taking place slowly.
Of the 100-odd cable operators only handful have achieved 100 per cent digitalisation while majority have installed set top boxes in 70 per cent of their subscribing customers. There are some operators who have provided STBs to only 50 per cent of their customers, and most have got cracking on the task only now.
Shortage of STBs in the market is one of the reasons cited by operators for partial digitalisation while others have said that “geographical issues” is the cause of the delay.
On the other hand, several players in the cable TV business have blamed lax enforcement by the nodal officers (viz. the district collectors) for the tardy cable TV digitalisation process.
Players said that strict enforcement by the district collectors in Karnataka and Maharashtra resulted in prompt digitalisation. However, in Goa the offices of the two district collectorates have taken the least interest in pushing operators to switch over to digital transmission of channels. Consequently operators have gone slow and have not provided STBs and completed the encryption work necessary for digitalisation.
The deadline for digitalisation of cable TV by the ministry of information and broadcasting has recently been extended to January 31, 2017 for Phase 3 areas and to March 31, 2017 for Phase 4 areas whereas previously the deadline was December 31, 2016.
The extension is to give adequate time for transition to those subscribers who have not changed to digital. However, the notification from the I&B ministry says “no further extension will be given”. Under the digitalisation of cable TV it is obligatory for every cable operator to transmit or re-transmit programmes of any channel in an encrypted form through a digital addressable system as per Section 4A of the Cable Television Network (Regulation) Act 1995. Operators have to provide STBs to their customers and stop analogue transmissions. Households in municipal areas are covered under Phase 3 and those in panchayat and rural areas under Phase 4.
Channel transmission in Goa is by local cable operators and also by telecom companies. There are 100-odd cable operators but only five to six control rooms, viz. transmitting stations. Most of the operators are franchisees of the operator with a transmitting station.
Recently consumer action group GoaCan expressed concern that residents may not be able to watch their favourite channel due to incomplete implementation of the digital addressable system. The forum has also said that STBs provided by cable operators are not high definition and would be unusable if the channel becomes HD. The consumer group has called for a meeting between district collectors and stakeholders to discuss the issue.