As the deadline for digitisation ends tomorrow in the four metros — Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has sent teams of technical experts to verify the headends of Multi System Operators (MSOs). Headends are master facilities of the MSOs set up to receive, process and distribute signals to television homes.
The teams comprise engineers from Prasar Bharati and Broadcast Engineering Consultants India. They will collect on-site data on the preparedness of the MSOs for analogue switch-over to Digital Addressable System. They would look into the functioning of the subscriber management systems that are important to generate consumer bills and call centre facilities, among others. According to mandatory regulations, it will be illegal for broadcasters and cable operators to distribute analogue signals from November 1. This will mean a black-out for those without a set-top box.
The Ministry said taking into account DTH subscribers, as of Tuesday, overall 93 per cent digitisation had been achieved in the four metros. In Delhi, the cable television digitisation touched 95 per cent, in Kolkata 85 per cent, including DTH subscribers. In Chennai, nearly 86 per cent digitisation had been achieved, a chunk of which is from DTH subscribers.
Officials said they expected at least one television to be digitised in households. Besides television and print campaigns and SMSs, the Ministry has also started in-cinema and outdoor advertising.