DAS Task Force meet: MIB calls for indigenous STBs

With an aim to attend to the challenges and opportunities of the Phase III & IV of digitisation, the Digital Addressable System (DAS) held its first Task Force meeting in Delhi with leading cable operators in the presence of Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Prakash Javadekar Secretary Bimal Julka and Joint Secretary Supriya Sahu.

At the meet held in Delhi, Javadekar stressed upon the significance of consumer choice in the digitisation process and called for home-grown set top box manufacturing. “The cable TV digitisation process is aimed at providing the consumer with greater choices at affordable prices and qualitative options as the objective was to be responsive to the needs and choice of the consumer”, he said. He further mentions that the choice of the consumer was vital in defining the inputs, strategies and plans for the remaining phases of the digitisation process. He stated that he represented the viewer and consumer, who had no voice unlike the other stakeholders who were present at the meeting.

The Minister also informed that the Government has facilitated ‘C form’ issue for indigenous manufacturers, considering there has been immense pressure on government about the same.

Javadekar said that the task force is set to identify timelines for implementation so as to ensure the timely completion of Phase III and Phase IV. “All issues concerning the key stakeholders needed to be dealt with at length ensuring the mainstreaming of the process with the existing policy. The need of portability of STB’s so as to provide the option of interoperability to the consumers was an issue that could be looked into by the concerned stakeholders. Our aim is that every viewer gets the best viewing experience over the next two years”, he added.

He also pointed that he wishes the portability for STBs on the lines of portability for mobile phones and said the government and the task force will study this issue.

I&B secretary Bimal Julka, earlier said the task force was an important platform to debate and view issues related to the digitisation implementation. “It will also provided an opportunity to understand the concern of stakeholders”, he said.

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