VADODARA: With the deadline for digital addressable system (DAS) Phase III being 31 December 2015, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) wants the multi-system operators (MSOs) to learn from the mistakes of the first two phases and rectify them in Phases III and IV.
Speaking at the Vadodara edition of TelevisionPost.com’s digital initiative GroundPost, TRAI deputy advisor GS Kesarwani said that many MSOs had installed pre-activated STBs in Phases I and II, which is against the law. “You have to first collect the customer application form [CAF], see what your customer wants, and then only activate the box,” Kesarwani told the MSOs and LCOs at the event.
He added that an MSO should ensure a written agreement with the LCO.
“The agreement has to clearly define the roles and responsibilities of the two parties and the revenue share.
The MSOs also need to set up a subscriber management system (SMS) and the responsibility of generating bills lies with them.
They need also to ensure the delivery of the bill. For this, an MSO can enter an agreement with the LCO,” Kesarwani said.
Addressing the concerns of independent cable operators, he said that LCOs could apply for MSO registration to the Information & Broadcasting Ministry (MIB).
“As MSO, one has the right to take signals from the broadcaster and as per rule, an MSO cannot deny the signals,” he explained. “An agreement between a service provider and a consumer is mandatory.”
With respect to the changes in the industry, he said that technology is changing fast in tandem with customers and their viewing patterns.
Talking about TRAI’s intervention, Kesarwani said that the change has been taking place since 2012.
Kesarwani stated that TRAI first gave its recommendations to the government for cable TV digitisation in 2010. “The government accepted our recommendations.
We also told the government that the entire country could not be digitised in one go and that it should be done in a phased manner.
We also suggested which cities could be done in Phases I and II and so on.” Based on these recommendations, the government introduced amendments to the Cable TV Act and made new rules.
After that, TRAI made a comprehensive regulation on the quality of service and the interconnect arrangement between service providers. So what has changed?
Read more at:
http://www.televisionpost.com/cable/firs...kesarwani/
Speaking at the Vadodara edition of TelevisionPost.com’s digital initiative GroundPost, TRAI deputy advisor GS Kesarwani said that many MSOs had installed pre-activated STBs in Phases I and II, which is against the law. “You have to first collect the customer application form [CAF], see what your customer wants, and then only activate the box,” Kesarwani told the MSOs and LCOs at the event.
He added that an MSO should ensure a written agreement with the LCO.
“The agreement has to clearly define the roles and responsibilities of the two parties and the revenue share.
The MSOs also need to set up a subscriber management system (SMS) and the responsibility of generating bills lies with them.
They need also to ensure the delivery of the bill. For this, an MSO can enter an agreement with the LCO,” Kesarwani said.
Addressing the concerns of independent cable operators, he said that LCOs could apply for MSO registration to the Information & Broadcasting Ministry (MIB).
“As MSO, one has the right to take signals from the broadcaster and as per rule, an MSO cannot deny the signals,” he explained. “An agreement between a service provider and a consumer is mandatory.”
With respect to the changes in the industry, he said that technology is changing fast in tandem with customers and their viewing patterns.
Talking about TRAI’s intervention, Kesarwani said that the change has been taking place since 2012.
Kesarwani stated that TRAI first gave its recommendations to the government for cable TV digitisation in 2010. “The government accepted our recommendations.
We also told the government that the entire country could not be digitised in one go and that it should be done in a phased manner.
We also suggested which cities could be done in Phases I and II and so on.” Based on these recommendations, the government introduced amendments to the Cable TV Act and made new rules.
After that, TRAI made a comprehensive regulation on the quality of service and the interconnect arrangement between service providers. So what has changed?
Read more at:
http://www.televisionpost.com/cable/firs...kesarwani/
