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Industry observers believe that Mumbai and Delhi are still manageable, but shifting to DAS will be much more complex in the other two metros of Chennai and Kolkata.
"I believe Mumbai and Delhi will be easily done but real picture of Kolkata and Chennai will be know on November 1. The next 15 days most of the MSOs will be busy in getting the packages right for the customers. It will take 1-2 weeks for customers also to get settle," Ashok Mansukhani, president of the MSO Alliance and director of IndusInd Media and Communications Ltd said.
In Chennai, for instance, industry sources say that television sets will go black in around 32 lakh households on November 1, if the deadline is honoured. There are 40 lakh cable connections in the city. However, as per the Ministry the Cable homes are showing 61% digitization and together with DTH, the percentage of digitization goes up to 85 per cent.
On October 30, a day before the deadline, the cable operators are confused what would be the impact of this. Whether majority of their customers would left with blank television screens or could have a breath of relief with some free to air channels, they have no idea, says P Sakilan, president of Thamizhaga Cable TV Operator's General Welfare Association (TCOA).
“Chennai has around 40 lakh connections and so far only 2.5 lakh set top boxes were supplied by the MSOs here. We think at least 50 per cent of the connections could be switched to digital mode by December,” says Sakilan.
He added that the DTH companies, with huge offers are in the process of expanding customer base, while the last mile cable operators are left with no choice but to wait and watch for the supply of STBs to take place. The cable operators in various regions has united to form small companies to offer set top boxes to customers and act as MSOs, he said. At least four such small companies have been formed in Chennai so far, he added
Sources attributed two reasons for not taking up the digitization seriously by LCOs. They think that date will be extended for digitization further and two Arasu Cable Corporation, the state-run MSO, will take over the control in the city. While as on Monday evening, 11 companies have got licence for digitisation, this does not include Arasu Cable.
In Kolkata, the case is slightly more curious as West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee feels that the central government should abstain from making STBs mandatory, which according to her, will add to the burden on people. She reiterated her stand today.
According to industry estimates about 8 lakh cable TV customers are in for a blackout in Kolkata.
Out of the total 23 lakh total cable connections in the city under 9 MSOs and over 5,000 operators, till now only 15 lakh have got STBs installed.
“As far as our company is concerned, we still have about 1.5 lakh more set top boxes lying with our operators for installation, while we have availed it to 7 lakh houses till now,” says Suresh Sethia, director of Siti Cable, one of the largest MSOs in the city. While all the 9 MSOs got digitization licences in the city, availability of set top boxes is a concern for all of them.
Earlier this month, the Mamata Banerjee-led government had asked the Centre to extend this deadline as MSOs complained that they were yet to receive about 40 to 50 per cent of set top boxes. However, operators today said that while all the single television homes are covered, multiple-TV homes are still pending.
Members of Cable and Welfare Association of West Bengal had a meeting with the West Bengal Urban Development minister Firhad Hakim regarding this. After the meeting, the state government has requested MSOs to continue analogue services, as a blackout may affect common man.
"I believe Mumbai and Delhi will be easily done but real picture of Kolkata and Chennai will be know on November 1. The next 15 days most of the MSOs will be busy in getting the packages right for the customers. It will take 1-2 weeks for customers also to get settle," Ashok Mansukhani, president of the MSO Alliance and director of IndusInd Media and Communications Ltd said.
In Chennai, for instance, industry sources say that television sets will go black in around 32 lakh households on November 1, if the deadline is honoured. There are 40 lakh cable connections in the city. However, as per the Ministry the Cable homes are showing 61% digitization and together with DTH, the percentage of digitization goes up to 85 per cent.
On October 30, a day before the deadline, the cable operators are confused what would be the impact of this. Whether majority of their customers would left with blank television screens or could have a breath of relief with some free to air channels, they have no idea, says P Sakilan, president of Thamizhaga Cable TV Operator's General Welfare Association (TCOA).
“Chennai has around 40 lakh connections and so far only 2.5 lakh set top boxes were supplied by the MSOs here. We think at least 50 per cent of the connections could be switched to digital mode by December,” says Sakilan.
He added that the DTH companies, with huge offers are in the process of expanding customer base, while the last mile cable operators are left with no choice but to wait and watch for the supply of STBs to take place. The cable operators in various regions has united to form small companies to offer set top boxes to customers and act as MSOs, he said. At least four such small companies have been formed in Chennai so far, he added
Sources attributed two reasons for not taking up the digitization seriously by LCOs. They think that date will be extended for digitization further and two Arasu Cable Corporation, the state-run MSO, will take over the control in the city. While as on Monday evening, 11 companies have got licence for digitisation, this does not include Arasu Cable.
In Kolkata, the case is slightly more curious as West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee feels that the central government should abstain from making STBs mandatory, which according to her, will add to the burden on people. She reiterated her stand today.
According to industry estimates about 8 lakh cable TV customers are in for a blackout in Kolkata.
Out of the total 23 lakh total cable connections in the city under 9 MSOs and over 5,000 operators, till now only 15 lakh have got STBs installed.
“As far as our company is concerned, we still have about 1.5 lakh more set top boxes lying with our operators for installation, while we have availed it to 7 lakh houses till now,” says Suresh Sethia, director of Siti Cable, one of the largest MSOs in the city. While all the 9 MSOs got digitization licences in the city, availability of set top boxes is a concern for all of them.
Earlier this month, the Mamata Banerjee-led government had asked the Centre to extend this deadline as MSOs complained that they were yet to receive about 40 to 50 per cent of set top boxes. However, operators today said that while all the single television homes are covered, multiple-TV homes are still pending.
Members of Cable and Welfare Association of West Bengal had a meeting with the West Bengal Urban Development minister Firhad Hakim regarding this. After the meeting, the state government has requested MSOs to continue analogue services, as a blackout may affect common man.