India: Success for Phase III digital conversion
June 16, 2016
By Chris Forrester
There are still a few dozen legal challenges to India’s mandatory roll-out of digitisation of the nation’s cable systems, but India’s Information & Broadcasting ministry (MIB) says that 41 million set-top boxes have been deployed in the nation’s Phase III regions, and this is a “near 100 per cent” adoption.
The 42 on-going legal objections – which mostly seek extensions of the analogue-to-digital switchover dates – are being consolidated from local courts to the Delhi High Court as a result of a ruling by India’s Supreme Court.
Seven Indian manufacturers are now licensed to build and supply STBs.
However, the Phase IV regions contain 61.8 million TV homes and by the end of this year the plan is for their total conversion to be completed.