MIB claims 73% digitisation target achieved

Four national MSOs announce rates for consumer packages for digital cable TV 

BestMediaInfo Bureau | Delhi | October 1, 2012

Recently, the Ministry Information & Broadcasting has embarked on an aggressive public awareness campaign wherein a syncronised advertisement on the digitisation deadline of October 31, 2012 was shown on more than 200 television channels. Radio jingles, print advertisements and an SMS campaign have also enhanced public awareness about the digitisation exercise.  With all these efforts, the digitisation percentage in the four metro cities of Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai has gone up to 73 per cent, according to the ministry.

Ambika Soni, Minister for Information & Broadcasting, has also met the Chief Minister of NCT of Delhi, Shiela Dixit, to discuss the progress made towards Cable TV Digitisation.  The Delhi Chief Minister assured the Minister of Information & Broadcasting of full support of the Delhi Government for the digitisation exercise. She also asked the Chief Secretary to ask all SDMs to convene meetings with stakeholders to achieve the digitisation roadmap well within the time.

In Delhi, 14.74 laks set-top boxes (STBs) have already been installed against the target of 24.74 lakh, thereby achieving 60 per cent target. If DTH is also taken into consideration, then the digitisation progress is about 70 per cent as 8.77 lakh people in Delhi have already subscribed to DTH services. Delhi has shown good pace of installation of STBs in the last one month and currently about 15,000 STBs are being installed per day in the city.

Meanwhile, four national-level Multi System Operators (MSOs) – DEN, Digi Cable, Hathway and WWil – have also announced rates for consumer packages for digital cable. As per TRAI's stipulation, the Basic Service Tier (BST) consisting of at least 100 channels for Rs 100 has also been announced by some of them. The bouquet rates for pay channels are as below:

Consumers will also be given the option of choosing channels from an a la carte list. MSOs had earlier announced a combined promotional rate of STB for Rs 799. MSOs have also announced consumer care service wherein toll fFree numbers including consumer charters have also been made available on their websites.

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