News Digitisation extension 2015: MSOs, LMOs smile; broadcasters sigh

[THAKUR]

It was a decision that most had been anticipating would be taken. But when it did come, it came as a bolt from the blue. Four months before cable TV digitisation had to be completed pan India, the government - through information and broadcasting (I&B) secretary Bimal Julka - announced to industry viaindiantelevision.com that a decision had been taken to extend it to December 2015.

(While this is what Julka has told us, certain sections in the industry have suggested that end-2015 is the analogue sunset date for phase III towns and villages; the date for phase IV regions may end up being December 2016.)

Earlier this year, the previous UPA government’s Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Minister Manish Tewari had held a task force meet with all the stakeholders to state that digitisation was to go on as planned with phases III and IV being merged. The deadline was December 2014 to implement digitisation in digital addressable system (DAS) phase III and IV while simultaneously implementing billing in phase I and II, which was to have been done much earlier.

However, the new advancement of the deadline by the current BJP government, comes across as a breather to the beleaguered and unprepared cable TV industry that claims to be facing a shortage of funds to execute the seeding of 75 million boxes.


Digitisation extension 2015: MSOs, LMOs smile; broadcasters sigh | Indian Television Dot Com

 

[IndianMascot]

Digitisation delay gets mixed reactions from industry

The delay in the rollout of phase three and four of digitisationdid not come as a shock for the industry. Most stake-holders agree that the deadline of 31 December could not have been met.

However, mutli-system operators and direct-to-home players are now hopeful that the year is spent in ironing out the creases in the process.

Digitisation is the process of converting all analogue television signals to digital by installing set-top-boxes (STBs) in the subscriber homes.

Subscribers can op either for digital cable services provided by MSOs like Hathway, InCable and Den Networks etc. or go in for DTH connection like those provided by Tata Sky, Dish TV, Videcon d2h etc. Phase one and two of the process was completed over 2012 and 2013 and the deadline for phase three was until now December 2014.

The MIB's stand on the matter is that it wants to give thrust to indigenous STB manufacturers and the one year delay would be used to bridge the gap in STB manufacturing in India. Currently, the industry depends on imports from China for seeding (deploying) STBs in the territories that are undergoing digitisation.


Digitisation delay gets mixed reactions from industry | Business Standard News

 

[THAKUR]

MUMBAI: A new PwC report on the media and entertainment industry in India, predicts good numbers for the growth of cable and DTH in the country.

As of 2013,India has 129 million households with a TV set, with 64 million being analogue cable, 30 million having digital cable and 35 million DTH households.

According to PwC, 2017 onwards DTH subscribers would grow to 56 million and 64 million in 2018.

Meanwhile, aided by the government’s push for digitisation, the digital cable TV subs will hit 90 million in 2018 from 85 million in 2017.

A few months back Media Partners Asia (MPA) had predicted that there won’t be 100 per cent digitisation in the country; even PwC forecasts the same as 5 million analogue subscribers still remaining by 2018.

Whereas, digital cable subs are expected to grow at a CAGR of 25 per cent to reach 90 million by 2018. DTH will see a growth of 13 per cent in the next five years.

Average revenue per user (ARPU) is expected to touch Rs 311 in 2018 which was at Rs 182 in 2013.

The number of digitised homes is set to go up from 30 million in 2013 to 45 million in 2014 to 65 million in 2015.

At the same time, analogue subs will reduce from 64 million in 2013 to 35 million in 2015 to 15 million in 2016.

Digitisation to add 80 million digital subscribers by 2018: PwC report | Indian Television Dot Com

 

[IndianMascot]

Do you actually read these articles?

It has been posted twice or thrice from other sources.

 

[DashMajor]

Good collection of same article from different sources