NEW DELHI: An 18-member Task Force headed by the Additional Secretary in the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, Rajiv Takru, has been constituted to oversee and facilitate the implementation of digital addressable cable TV systems in the country.
The Task Force will act as a nodal body as well as an interface between the Government and the industry in all matters related to the implementation of digital addressable system in cable sector and oversee and supervise the implementation of digitalisation.
The Task Force will also study the roadblocks that exist in the way to digitalisation and suggest suitable measures to address those in an efficient manner so as to enable the various stakeholders to carry forward the process of digitalisation. It will also analyse the experience of digitalisation process elsewhere in the world and develop a blue print for smooth transition from analogue to digital addressable system in India.
The Joint Secretary (Broadcasting) in the Ministry is the member-Convener of the Task Force.
The Force will have the Principal Adviser (Broadcasting and Cable Services) in the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, representatives of the Departments of Telecom, Information Technology, Prasar Bharati, an expert from the Broadcasting Engineering Consultants (India) Ltd., and four representatives of Consumer Groups /Organisations, as per the digitalisation implementation schedule.
In addition, there will be representation from the Cable Operators Federation of India, Multi System Operator (MSO) Alliance, the Direct-to-Home Association, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and the Confederation of Indian Industry, ASSOCHAM, Consumer Electronics and Appliances Manufacturers Association.
The Ministry has in its final report decided that digitisation of addressable cable systems will be completed in the country by December 2014. In its final view on the schedule issued by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, the Ministry has said the first phase covering the metros would be completed by 31 March 2012 (as against Trai’s revised deadline of 31 December 2012).
The Ministry has said Phase II covering cities with a population more than one million will be fully digitised by 31 March 2013 (as against the revised Trai deadline of 31 December 2012).
Phase III covering all urban areas (Municipal Corporations/Municipalities) will be digitised by 30 September 2014 (as against Trai’s revised timescale of 31 December 2013).
Phase IV covering the rest of India will be digitised by 31 December 2014, as against Trai’s revised timeline of 31 December 2013.
