DTH and cable operators tussle over signal jamming in Mumbai

The DTH Operators Association of India (DOAOI), representing all DTH companies has filled complaint against cable operators in certain areas of Mumbai stating that the instances of DTH jammers being used in parts of Mumbai to distort DTH signals have scaled up recently. DTH firms like Tata Sky, Dish TV, Reliance Big TV, Videocon D2H and Airtel Digital TV have detected fresh cases of DTH jammers causing disruption of services in some parts of Mumbai.

In letter sent to Telecom Regulatory Association of India (TRAI), Sanchar Bhavan, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, the Department of telecommunications (DoT), the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Home Affairs and Commissioner of Police, Mumbai regarding this, the DOAOI said, “These Jammers are being used to disrupt DTH signals and are also a threat to National security as the same are capable of being used to interfere with other signals besides DTH.”

In the letter to the Prime Minister's Office and Ministry of Home Affairs and Commissioner of Police, Mumbai, the association has cited out certain incidents, like -

•         The illegal use of Jammers came to the notice of DTH players with the numerous subscriber complaints from the Versova, Yari road and Lokhandwala of Andheri, in Mumbai regarding loss of DTH signals during the FIFA World Cup matches.
•         It was found that the jammer signals were disrupting the DTH signals of all DTH Operators including the National DTH Operator DD Direct Plus.
•         DOAOI has cited five specific instances when DTH jammers caused problems to the DTH signals in Mumbai between 4th July and 13th July this year. These instances happened during the telecast of key FIFA matches and higher on weekends.
•         The disruptive signals were found to be strong in Mhada colony. While trying to detect the location of the signals the technical team also came across destroyed DTH antennas on the terrace of some buildings.

Harit Nagpal (MD& CEO Tata Sky and DOAOI president) pointed out that they've received numerous complaints from subscribers about poor quality and freezing of pictures on television screens in a systematic manner, which gave rise to the suspicion of malpractice being involved. We have already zeroed-in on particular locations and details of the same have been furnished to the police to take appropriate action. Dates pertaining the telecast and subsequent complaints have also been furnished to concerned authorities in the complaint.

It may be noted that similar cases took place in Noida in 2011 and in Mumbai in 2008 and 2012 as well. While the culprits were put behind bars in Noida, the signal disruption stopped in Mumbai after a written complaint was sent to the police and the press reported the issue in print too.