The government is striving hard to transfigure India, ‘digitally’. All current mutations are apparently leading to a common goal of achieving DIGITAL INDIA objectives.
The Phase IV digitisation aimed at digitalising around 100 million households that were connected by the Cable TV industry. Digitalising 80 million Cable TV homes were however recorded to be done successfully.
It was being anticipated that Multi-Service Operators (MSOs) and cable operators can play a crucial role in broadband penetration in rural and be lagging urban areas and help lessen the expanding digital divide. Initiatives of INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING MINISTRY to digitalise all cable networks will act as a stimulus for increasing the broadband penetration, which is exactly in the line of action what the Government envisages, as World Bank affirms the fact that greater broadband penetration boosts annual gross domestic product significantly.
One of the most noteworthy points in this entire implementation is that:
‘How efficiently has the Government incorporated the change keeping in mind the geographic and demographic differences, and most importantly making the consumers convinced of the applicable change?’
According to a report by the Parliamentary standing committee on IT, Ministry of I&B claims to have taken all possible steps in order to strengthen the ‘informed consumer base’. Its sole aim was to let the consumers have a deep insight into ‘Grievance Redressal Mechanism’.
- Rigorous awareness campaigns: Ministry has asked the television broadcasters and MSOs (Multi-system operators, who run more than one cable television system) to launch awareness campaigns on merits of digitisation. In the implementation of PHASE III AND IV, a TV spit explaining the advantages of cable TV digitisation requested to be played at regular intervals–to DOORDARSHAN, IBF, NBA, AND ARTBI.
-
DD and AIR are requested to carry out programmes of grievance redressal.
-
Public awareness drives in each phase of digitisation covered all possible media be it print media or electronic, to convey the information accurately and make the consumer understand the necessity of this analogue to digital transition.
-
To oversee and monitor public awareness campaigns and drives, post digitisation phase, the subcommittee of public awareness was brought to action.
-
The ministry also proposes to add a new consumer section on its website exclusively on cable TV digitisation (www.digitalinfusion.com) which elaborately explains the use of grievance redressal mechanism available to the consumers.
The government has ‘evidently’ considered ‘Consumer Awareness’ to be the backbone of this remarkable metamorphosis in the cable TV domain. The broadcasting sector has proved to be a continuous contributor in initiating and executing campaign consistently over the period of time. A strong framework has backed up in carrying out informative and sustained campaigns across the country.
The government, however also brings in light that the stakeholders interest has slowly began to fade out and the awareness campaigns could not continue to withhold the same perseverance post digitisation phase.
Author: Sridhar Venkata
Director Sales & Marketing at ITP Software India.
ITP offers solutions to Pay TV, Broadcasting & ISP domains. ITP has earned the distinction of offering the most credible products that help a client enhance and manage operational efficiencies, increase and sustain customer loyalty and ramp up operations.
