CAS IN KOLKATA FROM JAN 2007

[ Source : The Telegraph Nov 14 , 2006 ]


The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) is holding weekly meetings with Calcutta’s multi-system operators (MSOs) to ensure that conditional access system (CAS) is rolled out in the city on January 1, 2007.
CAS will be introduced in phases in Calcutta.
The areas to be covered under the first phase are Alipore, New Alipore, Behala, Chetla, Budge Budge, Garden Reach and parts of Tollygunge, Thakurpukur, Haridevpur and Mahestala.
Five of the 11 MSOs operating in the Calcutta Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) area backed out of the launch in the last meeting with Trai officials on November 8. They cited lack of infrastructure as the reason behind their failure to take part in the first phase.
The MSOs participating in the roll-out are Manthan Broadband, Cablecom, Indian Cablenet, Siticable, Kolkata Cable and Broadband Pariseva and Shrishti.
According to a senior official of the regulatory body, it is important to monitor the launch at every step.
“We had failed to introduce CAS earlier. This time, we are confident that the system will be in place by the New Year deadline,” he asserted.
He added: “The MSOs are supposed to provide us with detailed reports every fortnight. The reports deal with the area of operation, subscriber base and ability to cope with demand. The MSOs have also been asked to prepare a 3 ftx4 ft map of the areas they are covering within the zones where CAS will be launched in the first phase.”
The official explained: “This is being done to ensure that the entire area in the first phase is covered by the MSOs. If we notice that a particular pocket is not being covered, we will request one of the operators to take up the responsibility. We are also trying find out whether the MSOs have enough set top boxes (STBs). Once CAS is in place, no viewer, except those with DTH connections, will be able to watch cable television without an STB.”
The next meeting between the MSO and Trai officials will be held on Thursday.
Following several applications, Trai had last month recognised seven organisations in and around the city as MSOs. This took the total number of MSOs in the CMDA area to 11.