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Consumers rushed to buy set-top boxes (STBs), as broadcasters and Multi System Operators (MSOs) switched off analogue signals in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata on Wednesday night. Chennai, through a court order, has got time till November 5.
M.G Azhar, COO, DEN Networks, said, “We installed nearly 52,000 boxes on Wednesday alone and more demand is coming.”
Industry players said cases of piracy of digital signals had emerged in certain pockets, especially in Kolkata, as the first day of Digital Addressable System kicked off in the three metros.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said, “It has been reported that analogue signals have been switched off from all the head ends in Delhi and Mumbai while Kolkata has given mixed reports.”
Salil Kapoor, COO, Dish TV, said, “In the past two weeks, sales are up nearly ten times in Delhi, followed by Mumbai. In Kolkata, demand is slower, which indicates that piracy of signals could be happening.”
Deployment
Cable operators said that there was no shortage of STBs, but their deployment was a big challenge. They said it was difficult to estimate the number of households that were facing blackout as signal switch-off had not been uniform.
A clutch of local cable operators in Mumbai belonging to the Cable Operators’ Distributors Association are said to have decided to continue with analogue signals as not all customers had switched to STBs. A senior executive with a Mumbai-based MSO said the association would file a petition with city authorities seeking an extension to the deadline for digitisation.
The I&B Ministry said 64.31 lakh STBs had been installed in the four metros, along with 28.14 lakh DTH subscribers. According to 2011 Census figures, there are 82.59 lakh television households in the four metros, and the Ministry said with the addition of the DTH subscribers, 65.34 lakh cable television subscribers required STBs. Its latest estimates say that Mumbai and Delhi had achieved complete digitisation, while in Kolkata and Chennai, it stood at 84 per cent and 63 per cent, respectively.
The Ministry has also asked MSOs to certify that they have switched off analogue signals completely. They have also been asked to set up special kiosks in pockets where STB penetration is low.
The Ministry has asked MSOs to stick to the price of STBS at Rs 799 plus taxes.
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