TV viewers may soon have wider choice of channels

Wider choice of digital channels and better service at affordable prices could soon be a reality with headend-in-the-sky (HITS) policy likely to come up before the Union Cabinet on Thursday. To be implemented on a voluntary basis, HITS will provide digital mode of delivery of content and will enable distribution of multiple channels via satellite after aggregating them on ground from different satellites in an addressable format.

The policy -- that has been under consideration for over a year now -- is likely to bring down costs of conversion from analog to digital format from Rs 15,000 crore to Rs 1,200 crore according to government estimates. As per estimates by broadcast regulator TRAI, the cost of conversion of about 6,000 existing analog cable headends from one-way analog cable network to one-way digital cable network works out to Rs 15,000 crore. Among the advantages of the system are deeper penetration of the cable market into rural areas where it has been absent because of unviability. The government hopes that this will reduce the cost of set-top boxes and further consolidation of the cable market and attract funding by improving the return on investments.

The government has been keen to ensure that the policy does not mean additional financial burden on the subscriber. "The ministry is keen that it should not entail extra cost on the subscriber and is in talks with various representatives to ensure that," a source said. The ministry has already proposed a rationalisation of duty on digital set-top boxes to bring down costs further. HITS will benefit subscribers with a wider choice of digital channels, better picture quality and value added services at affordable prices. HITS will provide greater channel capacity from the present capacity of channels placed in prime and non-prime band.

Courtesy - Times of India