Telecom regulator recommends ASO by 2013

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) said on the 5th August 2010 that all analogue signals should be phased out by 2013 to allow consumers to watch high quality digital channels of their choice on a-la-carte basis. The statement went on to say that digitisation will help companies improve signal quality and offer more interactive and value-added services.
In its recommendation, TRAI said the implementation of the digital broadcast signals should take place in a phased manner starting March 2011 in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. Cities with population over one million should be digitalised by December, 2011 while in all other urban areas, including municipal corporations, digitalisation should take place by December, 2012.
The broadcasters across the country should completely convert from an analogue-based broadcasting system to digital-based system by December, 2013, said TRAI.
The regulator also suggested incentives to service providers who set up a digital distribution network before the deadline by way of an income tax holiday from April, 2011 or the date of setting up their network, whichever comes first.
TRAI also recommended rationalisation of taxes levied on the broadcasting distribution sector.
Most of the recent TRAI comments on the analogue switch off have concerned the extensive cable networks across India and it is not known if the ASO date of 2013 also applies to Terrestrial Television.
India adopted the DVB-T standard in July 1999.
Main source: Hindustantimes
Item added: 9th August 2010