TRAI consultations on single set-top box for DTH operators
Posted by Sathish | Published on August 20th, 2010 | Comments 1
New Delhi: In a move which is expected to benefit consumers interested in changing their DTH operators, telecom regulator TRAI Friday opened consultations to mull over the idea of a single set-top box for DTH operators with different technical compatibility.
TRAI invited opinion from various stakeholders on whether it was possible to have an open architecture-based set top box (STB) for DTH services that could ensure technical compatibility and effective interoperability among different DTH operators who have adopted same or different standards.
The consultations would also look at how the interoperability be implemented and what would be the implications to the stakeholders.
The regulating body asked stakeholders to send their opinion on whether there was a need to mandate any particular standard so that the objectives of technical interoperability can be achieved and if so, what would be the standard.
In case such a technical interoperability for set top boxes is not possible, then any other mechanism to safeguard the interests of the subscribers will also be looked at.
The consultation paper was issued following a request by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to TRAI to review its recommendations on ‘Interoperability and Other Issues relating to DTH’ dated January 30, 2008.
The stakeholders have been requested to offer their comments by the seventh of next month.
Source: Zeenews.com
Filed Under: General News
Let us get this right first, Trai is not using this consultation to promote interoperability at all, THe published paper is all filled with things explaining, why there should not be interoperability.
It is a well known fact that DTH licence regulation in India mandated the use of open architecture STBs , every operator who applied for those licences knew that very well, TRAI does not even bother to explain or ask, why they were not followed in the first place.
Does TRAI ask for opinion of Competition Commission of India, which according to reports have already found the DTH operators of Voilating the competition rules
SOurce: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/media/entertainment-/media/CCI-may-soon-send-notices-to-Tata-Sky-Reliance-Big-Dish-TV/articleshow/5455670.cms
Now the question is not if those STBs are interoperable or not, THe question is are they open or not, If they are open then they will be interoperable in due time,
Every STB in the market today is very well capable of tuning broadcast from DD-Direct+, IT can be seen that these boxes are deliberately locked and customers are blocked from watching the DD-Direct+ channels, SO since there is no interoperability issue with DD-Direct+, why is trai not asking the DTH operators to unblock those STBs ? Especially when there is clear provision in the 2007 regulation that the boxes shall not be blocked
Most channels we watch everyday are FTA channels from C-BAND transponders of various satellites, All boxes can tune these channels, But then every DTH operator has blocked the entire tuning facility of the STBs, Why is trai silent about that?
Why should TRAI worry about the cost of STBs and CAMs , The dth operators must be forced to sell their CAMs and Cards compatible with any receiver, which has a CI slot of prescribed standard, If someone prefers to use his own STB, let him pay for it and it is for him to decide what he wants to watch, IF he want to watch MPEG-4 or Mpeg-2 let him decide, If TRAI has any sincerity and good faith in this matter it should mandate all DTH operators to offer CAMs and Cards for consumers who want it, Otherwise as usual we can safely consider this as another EYEWASH to cheat Indian public and steal their hard earned money and pay the DTH operators, It is high time consumer organisations started some campaign to BOYCOT THOSE DTH OPERATORS who insist on their own STB to provide service.
The DTH operators are on their part cheating both the Govt and Public, On one hand they keep crying that they loose money on providing STB to public, ON the other hand they will not allow the consumer to buy his own box, It can be clearly seen that they are only trying to cheat and tie up the consumer to them and force the public to stay with their dismal service.
I really find it interesting that TRAI has shed a lot of crocodile tears and spend a lot of energy to prove that the so-called “value added services” of DTH operators will not be compatible to each other, Well so what, What if a consumer does not need any Value-added service and like me , just wants to watch TV channels, Why is the service which I do not want forced on me? All I say is let me buy an STB of my choice from open market, I will buy one with a CI slot as per the prescribed standard, and I want the dth opertor to sell or hire me a CAM and card for his service, So if I do not want the service, I can simply return the CAM and card and finish the matter for ever, That is the way it should be for me,
Some customers would like the active services etc… of course, they can take the STB from the DTH operator and use it,
THe other problem which is discussed is the EPG for those who want it, Trai should have set some standard for those too, THey can stull do it, like the ETSI standard for Europe EPGs
http://webapp.etsi.org/workprogram/Report_WorkItem.asp?WKI_ID=3883
Once such a standard is fixed, any receiver which complies with that format can easily display the EPG, If some dth operator wants to add his picture or ads and some consumer likes it, He can actually take the STB from the service provider,
It is useless discussion and I feel it is a ploy to finally find that interoperability is not possible, The whole thing is a scam and this consultation will not be of any use to the public, Finally TRAI will find it is not possible to have interoperability and that condition will be removed, This exercise is nothing more than a staged act to do it as per DTH operators wish.