Bill on digitalisation introduced in India

Tuesday 29 Nov 2011
The Indian government yesterday tabled a bill in the lower house of parliament to pave the way for the mandatory digitalisation of cable television, The Times of India reports.

The Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Amendment Bill 2011, piloted by the information and Broadcasting Ministry, seeks to digitalise the cable sector in the country by 31 December 2014.

While the plan is for complete digitalisation of cable television in the four main cities – Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata – by 30 June 2012, the next target will be cities with a population of over one million.

By the end of 2014, the entire country is expected to have phased out analogue cable TV. The move will provide viewers with high technical quality and a larger number of TV channels.

The bill will replace an ordinance promulgated in October to amend the Act. Through the ordinance, a clause was inserted in the Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Act to make a digital system mandatory in the cable sector.

In August last year the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recommended the digitalisation of the cable sector, a move backed by the ministry.