The Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable Corporation (TACTV) has written to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) seeking time till December this year to complete the process of digitisation of its cable network.
Replying to a letter from the MIB that sought to know if the State-run cable corporation had switched off its analogue signals, TACTV said that the Digital Addressable System (DAS) licence given to it should not be revoked as the process of providing set-top boxes (STB) to its customers had already begun.
The MIB, in a letter late last month, sought to know if TACTV had complied with the condition of the provisional DAS licence issued to it that a switchover to digital signal should be completed within three months.
“Since the date for TACTV to switch over to digital cable service in the State is already over, you are directed to confirm that you have already switched off analogue signals and are carrying only digital encrypted signals on your cable TV network,” the letter said.
The MIB had given TACTV 10 days to file a reply failing which its licence would be cancelled. Sources in Arasu Cable told The Hindu that a reply has already been sent on the matter.
“Technically, the licence has been implemented. Our Chief Minister has already rolled out the scheme (of providing free STBs) and the process is on. It will take us time to complete the full rollout across the State, and this has been conveyed to the Ministry,” the source said adding that time has been sought till December. The source added that the case regarding digitisation is pending before the court and this has also been brought to the notice of the MIB to ensure that the provisional licence is not cancelled.
TACTV was given a provisional DAS licence in April this year. The cable corporation had sought an additional one month’s time till August to switch over to digital signal. Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami launched the free STB scheme on September 1, marking the move from analogue to digital. But with nearly 72 lakh customers, the cable corporation is rolling out the scheme in phases.