Lok Sabha Question No. 3288 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-18
Subject: CAS/DAS
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: C.S. PUTTARAJU

## CAS/DAS

## 3288. SHRI C.S. PUTTA RAJU

## Will the Minister of INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  has  any  policy  in  the  distribution  and  sale  of  Conditional  Access System (CAS) and Digital Addressable System (DAS) in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  in  providing  equal and adequate opportunity for all the players providing CAS and DAS and also to avoid monopoly in this field;
- (c) whether the Government has evaluated the quantum of business in terms of customer base and revenue generation;
- (d) if so, the total customer base and revenue generation expected annually through the CAS and DAS sale and distribution; and
- (e)  the steps taken by the Government to curb and stop resale of CAS and DAS licences?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING {COL RAJYAVARDHAN RATHORE (Retd.)}

- (a) Ministry had introduced Conditional Access System (CAS) in the Cable TV Network in four metro cities, namely, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai in the year 2006. In this system, the pay channels had to be encrypted using Conditional Access Software for distribution on the Cable Network. However, Free to Air (FTA) channels could still be provided in analogue. CAS system was not found very successful since pay channels were also reported to be carried in analogue mode sometime by some cable operators. Therefore, as per the recommendations of TRAI it has been replaced by Digital Addressable System (DAS). As per Gazette Notification dated 11.11.2011 DAS in Cable Television Network is required to be implemented in four phases across the country. Phase I  (four  metro  cities  i.e  Mumbai,  Delhi,  Kolkata  and  Chennai)and  Phase  II  (38  cities  having population of more than one million) have since been implemented and Phase III (all the urban areas not covered in Phase I and Phase II) is to be completed by 31st Dec 2015 and Phase IV (Rest of India) by 31st Dec 2016.

Conditional Access Software is required both in the cases of CAS as well as DAS system. Cable Operators  use  Conditional  Access  Software  in  the  Headend  to  encrypt  the  channels  while distributing and this software in the Set Top Box allows the subscriber to view the channels by decryption, only if the subscriber has been authorized by the cable operators.

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3288 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.12.2015

- (b): For transmission of signals under CAS as well as DAS, the Multi System Operators (MSOs) are  required  to  obtain  registration  from  the  Ministry  of  Information  and  Broadcasting  whereas Local Cable Operators (LCOs) continue to get registration from respective Head Post Offices of their areas. The applicant can be an individual, a partnership firm or a company registered under the  Company's Act. Also, the applicant should not be an un-discharged insolvent, a person of unsound  mind  and  convicted  of  any  criminal  offence.  An  applicant  can  seek  registration  for operation in one or more areas. Therefore, the eligibility conditions are not only simple but also provide equal and adequate opportunity to all the applicants. Thus, it does not lead to monopoly.
- (c) & (d): Government has not carried out any such study. However, as per FICCI KPMG Report 2015  there  are  168  million  TV  households  in  the  country  of  which  99  million  are  cable  TV subscribers.
- (e): The MSO registrations for transmission under CAS as well as DAS are non-transferable as per terms  &  conditions  stipulated  in  the  order  of  registration  issued  to  Multi  System  Operators. Therefore, question of its resale does not arise.

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