New Delhi: Durgapur-based multi-system operator Akash Tori Infocom Services Pvt Ltd has assured the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal  (TDSAT) that it will rectify the errors in its system pointed out by Star India.

 

Chairman Justice Aftab Alam and members Kuldip Singh and B B Srivastava adjourned the matter to 11 December for further hearing after hearing counsel for both sides.

 

TDSAT had on 4 November directed the MSO to make it convenient for Star India to examine its headends in Durgapur. Accordingly, Star India had conducted a technical audit. Some shortcomings were found and this was conveyed to the MSO by Star India in a letter.

 

Akash Tori counsel Radhika Gupta admitted that shortcomings have been found in relation to set top boxes.

 

Star India counsel Arjun Natarajan said the audit had revealed that Akash Tori's Subscriber Management System (SMS) is not integrated with CAS for activation/deactivation of STB, which are not possible from SMS. Furthermore, the basic addressable features in STB, like channel encryption, package activation/deactivation are not available. Natarajan also said fingerprinting and OSD or messaging is not happening in STBs.

 

Star India asked Akash Tori to rectify the shortcomings and after rectification, it said Akash Tori may either approach Star India for a re-audit, or go for an audit by Broadcast Engineering Consultants (India) Ltd.

 

Ms Gupta said she would seek instructions from her client in this regard and take appropriate steps. The MSO had filed a petition seeking Star’s signals in digital mode on RIO terms. 

 

In the earlier hearing on 4 November, TDSAT was informed by Akash Tori counsel Radhika Gupta that the MSO had not yet received some set top boxes it had ordered.

 

When the matter had first come up on 19 October, the Tribunal had noted that Akash Tori was a 'fledgling multi-system operator' and ‘Star India cannot have any objection to give its signals on RIO terms to it, permitting Star to examine the headend of the MSO.