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Shortage of set-top boxes has impacted cable TV digitisation in the eastern region. Though the deadline for second phase of digitisation ended on March 31, cities in the region have witnessed only an average 60 per cent conversion till date.
Non-availability of these devices (essential for the beaming of digital signals) in at least four cities — Kanpur, Patna, Ranchi and Howrah — has slowed down the digitisation process, multi-system operators (MSOs) said. The Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry had set a target to digitise 38 cities having a projected 17 million cable TV households in the second phase.
“There has been a shortage of set-top boxes in Patna and Howrah as we could not procure the required boxes in time, following delay on the part of Customs in releasing the devices,” said Suresh Sethia, Director, East, SitiCable. SitiCable controls a sizeable chunk of cable TV viewers in the region.
While Patna has witnessed 40-45 per cent digitisation so far, a little more than 60 per cent households have installed set-top boxes in Howrah, Sethia added. M. G. Azhar, COO, Den Networks, pointed out that cities in the east, especially Ranchi and Patna, have experienced relatively slow progress in digitisation.
According to Naresh Babu Yadav, Deputy Commissioner, who is responsible for overseeing the progress of digitisation in Kanpur, around one lakh of the projected three lakh households have yet to receive set-top boxes.
“We will require another 70,000 to 80,000 set-top boxes. Though an estimated 30,000 direct-to-home connections are required in the city, only 5,500 households have DTH connections so far,” Yadav said.
Another SitiCable official claimed that logistics issues and delayed clearance of consignments by Customs have created shortage of set-top boxes in Kanpur.
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