MUMBAI: The MSO Alliance, a representative body of the cable TV industry, has demanded that the government should create a level playing field that would allow the cable operators to compete with new technologies of television distribution like direct-to-home.
Speaking today at a seminar on the Indian Cable TV Scenario, MSO Alliance president Ashok Mansukhani said, "The cable TV industry is completely geared to take on the competition from various emerging technologies on television distribution. However, we request the government to ensure a level playing field for us along with other new emerging TV distribution platforms like DTH, which will lead to providing a genuine 'Consumer Choice'. We believe that in a scenario when the newer technologies are addressable, even the cable delivery should have a law for addressability."
The seminar was organised by the MSO Alliance. Hathway MD and CEO K Jayaraman and Incablenet COO Srinivas Palakodetti also addressed the seminar. Multi system operator (MSO) Siticable participated in the seminar.
The MSO Alliance supported the principal objective of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) recommendation to promote and facilitate competition among channels, operators and platforms.
"It is happy that TRAI accepts Addressability must come on all TV channel distribution platforms. As competition increases and the consumers have multiple choices, price regulation would gradually be withdrawn," the Alliance said.
The MSOs are providing digital cable services and digitalising analogue proactively to deliver the widest choice at value for money price, the Alliance pointed out. The digital services including many additional channels are available from key MSO networks in Mumbai like Incablenet and Hathway, at no additional subscription amount. The digital delivery also demonstrated unique additional features from the digital Set top box like electronic programme guide, language choice and automatic Software download, it added.
Trai has already passed its recommendations for addressability on cable TV eight months back. "We are awaiting the time frame for implementation from the government," the Alliance said.
