Exclusive | Stick to digitization deadline!

A lot of hue and cry is being raised by all the parties concerned with the digitization, all those who have a stake in the process. Apparently in a recent June 11 meeting called to take stock of the progress of digitization in the four metros with the approaching June 30 deadline, various parties stuck to their concerns and demand as opposed to the agenda of the meeting. The closed door meeting was called by Ms Ambika Soni, Minister of Information and Broadcasting and the various stakeholders including the Multi System Operators, Local Cable Operators (LCO), the broadcasters, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) officials and others to take stock on the progress of digitisation.

 

While the MSOs pushed for a postponement of the June 30 deadline by two months citing various reasons like non-availability of set-top boxes and poor ground facilities to implement the same, broadcasters wanted adherence to the deadline citing revenue loss as also the issue of carriage fees. The LCOs asked the Government to have a relook at the revenue sharing aspects. 

 

To be fair to all the stakeholders, while all have their genuine concerns, atleast for one time we must stick to the schedule. It is not as if they did not know it was coming. It is almost a decade now that the noise about digitization is being made; the first time it was made was around 2002. By atleast sticking to the deadline schedule some urgency in implementation will be evident on part of the stakeholders. It is necessary to wake those who are still in a state of slumber. 

 

On another front, the government or the MSOs on their part can subsidise the cost of set top boxes for consumers who cannot afford it for now to be recovered as an equated monthly installments (EMI) later, let’s say over a period of 12 months. Or do as the telecom companies do, give a free SIM card for now in the hope of recovery of investment in the long-term through monthly revenues. That’s how they have built subscribers base. So what is the harm in doing it in this case as well? 

 

So what if the targets are missed. It is bound to happen when huge projects are executed or rolled out. But by sticking to deadline the seriousness will stay. Rightly so, Ambika Soni has stuck to the deadline for now and all stakeholders have been asked to meet deadlines as set out. At the same time she has asked all stakeholders to give on-ground status reports on logistics such as availability and distribution of set top boxes and the impact on consumers if the analogue plug is pulled off in these markets. This report has to be furnished to the MIB by June 15, 2012. 

 

Another meeting on June 15 by the special task force will assess the information received and all stakeholders are scheduled to meet the Minister again on June 15, 2012 to decide on the way forward for the roll out of digitisation deadlines. While an industry source said that it is quite likely that the deadline may get a two-three month extension, it would be better to adhere to the deadline.