Despite a major advertisement and awareness campaign, the Government is unlikely to meet the June 30 deadline for digitalisation of cable connections in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.
It is now considering extending the deadline to December 31, 2012, given that all four metros are far from their target of installing set-top boxes.
“There is absolutely no way that the target of complete digitalisation by June 30 can be achieved,” highly placed sources told The Pioneer. They said the Task Force on digitalisation, which met here on Friday, has unanimously decided to extend the deadline which is now likely to be set for December 31.
Both West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa had earlier written to the Centre expressing their inability to ensure full digitalisation by June 30 and sought six months more — a demand that was subsequently met by the Information & Broadcasting Ministry.
Though the two States had demanded that the deadline be extended to November 30, the Centre will give them one more month to ensure that they fully comply with digitalisation and no repeated extensions are required in future. A formal decision — based on the recommendations of the task force — will be announced soon, sources said here on Saturday.
Blaming the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India for delay in declaring rates of set-top boxes that came only by April end and broadcasters announcing rates by May 31, Multiple System Operators (MSO) would now need at least 60 days’ time for finalising agreements.
The process of installing set-top boxes by cable operators is also moving at a slow pace with only 30 per cent of the 1.05 crore set top boxes required have been installed in the four metros.
Mumbai, which will require 30 lakh set top boxes, has just 10 to 11 lakh of them till now while Delhi has just about eight lakh set top boxes, against the need of 30 lakh. In Chennai, the State Government has just floated the tender while the digitalisation process is also very slow in Kolkata, they pointed out and added that I&B Secretary Udai Verma has gone to Kolkata and urged State Government officials to speed up the process.
The Task Force, headed by Additional Secretary Rajiv Takru and comprising of representatives of broadcasters, MSOs, cable operators, consumers, DTH operators and National Broadcasting Association (NBA), has been repeatedly meeting to take stock of the digitalisation process.
Despite not being able to meet the deadline, the Ministry is satisfied that everyone has come on board and accepted the idea of digitalisation which is a win-win proposition for all. The consumers stand to get better quality reception and the Government will rake in more revenue.
Deadline extension in offing
It is now considering extending the deadline to December 31, 2012, given that all four metros are far from their target of installing set-top boxes.
“There is absolutely no way that the target of complete digitalisation by June 30 can be achieved,” highly placed sources told The Pioneer. They said the Task Force on digitalisation, which met here on Friday, has unanimously decided to extend the deadline which is now likely to be set for December 31.
Both West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa had earlier written to the Centre expressing their inability to ensure full digitalisation by June 30 and sought six months more — a demand that was subsequently met by the Information & Broadcasting Ministry.
Though the two States had demanded that the deadline be extended to November 30, the Centre will give them one more month to ensure that they fully comply with digitalisation and no repeated extensions are required in future. A formal decision — based on the recommendations of the task force — will be announced soon, sources said here on Saturday.
Blaming the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India for delay in declaring rates of set-top boxes that came only by April end and broadcasters announcing rates by May 31, Multiple System Operators (MSO) would now need at least 60 days’ time for finalising agreements.
The process of installing set-top boxes by cable operators is also moving at a slow pace with only 30 per cent of the 1.05 crore set top boxes required have been installed in the four metros.
Mumbai, which will require 30 lakh set top boxes, has just 10 to 11 lakh of them till now while Delhi has just about eight lakh set top boxes, against the need of 30 lakh. In Chennai, the State Government has just floated the tender while the digitalisation process is also very slow in Kolkata, they pointed out and added that I&B Secretary Udai Verma has gone to Kolkata and urged State Government officials to speed up the process.
The Task Force, headed by Additional Secretary Rajiv Takru and comprising of representatives of broadcasters, MSOs, cable operators, consumers, DTH operators and National Broadcasting Association (NBA), has been repeatedly meeting to take stock of the digitalisation process.
Despite not being able to meet the deadline, the Ministry is satisfied that everyone has come on board and accepted the idea of digitalisation which is a win-win proposition for all. The consumers stand to get better quality reception and the Government will rake in more revenue.
Deadline extension in offing