Implement CAS across the state’

[yuva]

CHENNAI: The Multi-System Operator Association of Tamil Nadu (MAT) on Tuesday demanded the implementation Conditional Access System (CAS) throughout the State. At present, it is available only in Chennai.

Speaking to reporters after the inauguration of MAT’s office by Union Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister M K Alagiri here on Tuesday, MAT president B Jayaraman said the CAS would ensure the digitisation of the cable industry, which would allow the customers to have their choice of channels.

Moaning the slow implementation of CAS, he said the covered just 7 per cent of TV homes in the country.

P V Kalyanasundaram, general secretary of MAT, said the analog cable system, which now exists outside Chennai, has a limitation in the carriage capacity as it allows just 80 to 90 channels to be transmitted through the cable.

More than 475 TV channels can be downlinked in India. ``This means only one-fifth of the total available TV channels are shown to the customers,’’ he said.

He added that once the CAS was implemented, the customers would be able chose their channels and be able to get quality reception of programmes at a lesser cost.

At present, the State has 12-18 major Multi-System Operators (MSOs), who operate in one or more districts. Besides, over 500 MSOs cater to smaller areas in the State.

MSO is a service provider in the cable TV sector. The function of the MSO is to receive the satellite signals of various TV channels, aggregate them into a bundle and then provide the link to the cable operators, who in turn send the signals to the customer.

MAT office-bearers urged the Union government to announce a tax holiday for a period of three years for all import of equipment.

Their other demands included the setting up of a bench of the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal in Chennai and the introduction of the Broadcasting Bill 2007

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[TheBoss]

Thanks for the news buddy ...........