January 2005

Monday, January 5, 2005 -- VSAT service providers received letters from the DoT notifying them of an amendment made to the license conditions that would now allow VSAT Cos to obtain an ISP licence and provide internet broadband services.

Standardization of Cable TV Network A Review

Harchran Singh and Reema Garg Bureau of Indian Standards New Delhi

Introduction

A large number of Cable TV Networks presently exist in various parts of the country. The growth of such networks has been phenomenal and haphazard. The vigorous growth and acceptance of Cable TV Network has also attracted the attention of regulators and legislators. Government of India had passed ‘Cable TV Network (Regulation) Act’ in 1995. Under this Act, among other things, all Cable TV Network equipment are required to conform to the relevant Indian Standards brought out by BIS, within a period of 3 years from the date of establishment and publication of the relevant Indian Standards. Urgent need was therefore felt to identify areas where standardization was required and also to expeditiously evolve national standards for the same.

Standardization of Cable TV Network A Review

Harchran Singh and Reema Garg Bureau of Indian Standards New Delhi

Introduction

A large number of Cable TV Networks presently exist in various parts of the country. The growth of such networks has been phenomenal and haphazard. The vigorous growth and acceptance of Cable TV Network has also attracted the attention of regulators and legislators. Government of India had passed ‘Cable TV Network (Regulation) Act’ in 1995. Under this Act, among other things, all Cable TV Network equipment are required to conform to the relevant Indian Standards brought out by BIS, within a period of 3 years from the date of establishment and publication of the relevant Indian Standards. Urgent need was therefore felt to identify areas where standardization was required and also to expeditiously evolve national standards for the same.

Cable TV Hardware Aiming For The Future

Born in 1989-90, Cable TV Industry had not expected the amazing growth which happened the very following year. The mushrooming of cable TV networks in 1989 was only with the SMATV type equipment using ordinary TV boosters and RG 8/ LCG 21 cables for wiring up cable TV households. There were very few indigenous manufacturers in the field. The cause of this restricted growth in the pre-cable TV era was simple: the market was restricted to hotels and high-rise apartments that too in the metropolis. All the modulators were based on VCR modules. The cable operator had a low profile and his network used to cany at the most 100-200 subscribers, two or three channels. And, suddenly there came the boom in the industry due to the Gulf War that was broadcast live on CNN. People from every walk of life lined up in five star hotels to watch the “missiles fired “ till the cable TV operators installed dish antennas and gave them the world in their bedroom.

The number of channels available to Indian viewers increased several fold in the next two years and the situation in the market was beyond the control of the government. Demand in the market was so large that every one in the electronics business got in to manufacture of CATV related goods. Before the boom there were giants like Shyam and MCE dominating the market but later it was taken over by the small-scale industry that brought a crash in prices further escalating the boom.

Cable TV Hardware Aiming For The Future

Born in 1989-90, Cable TV Industry had not expected the amazing growth which happened the very following year. The mushrooming of cable TV networks in 1989 was only with the SMATV type equipment using ordinary TV boosters and RG 8/ LCG 21 cables for wiring up cable TV households. There were very few indigenous manufacturers in the field. The cause of this restricted growth in the pre-cable TV era was simple: the market was restricted to hotels and high-rise apartments that too in the metropolis. All the modulators were based on VCR modules. The cable operator had a low profile and his network used to cany at the most 100-200 subscribers, two or three channels. And, suddenly there came the boom in the industry due to the Gulf War that was broadcast live on CNN. People from every walk of life lined up in five star hotels to watch the “missiles fired “ till the cable TV operators installed dish antennas and gave them the world in their bedroom.

THE BROADCASTING BILL ITS IMPACT ON THE CABLE TV INDUSTRY

Cable TV in India started with one video channel in 1989 by small entrepreneurs giving a low cost entertainment to the masses including educational and informative programmes. Low cost of this service and variety of programmes made the industry grow to a gigantic size of 18 million households in a short span of “/years. Today we have :

(i.) More than 70,000 cable operators in the country.

(ii.) 18 million cable TV households.

(iii.) More than 50 entertainment, information and educational channels

(iv.) Employment to 12 lakh people.

(v.) Revenue of 2200 crores annually from subscription only.

(vi.) Additional revenue through local advertising, hardware sale, local programming etc.

THE BROADCASTING BILL ITS IMPACT ON THE CABLE TV INDUSTRY

Cable TV in India started with one video channel in 1989 by small entrepreneurs giving a low cost entertainment to the masses including educational and informative programmes. Low cost of this service and variety of programmes made the industry grow to a gigantic size of 18 million households in a short span of “/years. Today we have :