India’s STB deployment booms
May 16, 2016
By Chris Forrester
India’s cable and DTH operators serving the country’s smaller cities and towns are at long last installing digital set-top boxes. The installations, part of India’s ‘Phase III’ plan to see digital addressable decoder boxes in every home, now total 40.5 million in these Phase III regions.
This is ahead of initial targets set by India’s Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, which was estimated to need 33.19 million STBs.
However, progress could be better. Despite cable MSO’s and DTH broadcasters seeding 5.27 million boxes between February 1st and April 27th, local reports say that progress in some regions is now being stymied because of local Court decisions to halt the drive to distribute boxes.
According to the Television Post news-site, India’s Supreme Court is requiring that the various local petitions and legal actions now be consolidated into one hearing.