Arasu has a provisional MSO licence with CAS permission to operate: Manish Tewari.

[HOUSE-MD]

NEW DELHI: The Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV Corporation, a multi-system operator (MSO) run by the TN government - has been claiming that the government has not given it an operational licence, thereby restricting it from transmitting digital signals to its subscribers. The MSO even filed a case in the Madras High Court in December, 2013 and got a stay over Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) earlier order which stated that MSOs transmitting analogue signals in Chennai would be prosecuted.

While the case is yet to get its second date of hearing, the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) minister Manish Tewari, in a response to a question in the Parliament, said that on 26 November, 2007 Arasu had applied for grant of MSO registration in conditional access system (CAS) notified area of Chennai. The Ministry had granted provisional permission on 2 April, 2008. It was on the condition that after TRAI recommendations are considered, the Ministry will decide whether state governments/PSUs and other entities can enter into broadcasting activities including MSO/Cable operations.

Along with Arasu, four other MSOs in Chennai were also given CAS licences in 2006 including IMCL, Hathway Cable and Datacom, Kal Cable and JAK communications.

In response to a question about licences given to private players in other southern states, Tewari said that CAS was implemented in the notified areas of Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata on 31.12.2006; while in Chennai, it was implemented since 2003 under notifications of 14 January, 2003 and 31 July, 2006. Since CAS was implemented only in Chennai, no CAS permission was granted to MSOs in other southern states.

The entire episode has in a way turned everything around. The case is pending in court till the time TRAI submits its response. So while TRAI - which is completely against the idea of govt. owned MSOs and awaits Ministry’s response to its recommendations - awaits the responses, it could mean that Arasu is free to operate. Moreover, it can even give digital signals or seed STBs as TRAI can’t take any action against it, given that the MSO has a temporary licence.

The picture will be clear only after the Ministry brings out its regulation and the case in the Madras High Court proceeds.

Ref: Arasu has a provisional MSO licence to operate: Manish Tewari
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So as i have been arguing for over 2 years, TRAI has just recommended that government based MSO cant go DAS and this recommendation hasn't become a rule at I&B Ministry, so there is nothing till date that can stop Arasu to go DAS in Chennai and distribute STB's and seed them too.

So now as per the news report,

The Ministry had granted provisional CAS permission (licence) to Arasu on 2 April, 2008. This CAS licence has a complete permission to distribute and operate cable service via STB.

Arasu can even give digital signals or seed STBs as TRAI can’t take any action against it.

So with the I&B ministry giving a GO for Arasu's DAS indirectly, Arasu has to immediately do a DAS in Chennai at 100% if it really wants to do cable service in Chennai.

 

[HOUSE-MD]

If Arasu really wanted to serve chennai then they could have used the CAS licence and could have connected to all homes and then fight for more time for DAS, see now all MSO in chennai are Analogue and even if SCV wants they cant make DAS 100%, still a lot of people would be left without STB and many who dont want to go with SCV, then no way a 100%. So why cant Arasu try the same??

 

[Viki]

The entire episode has in a way turned everything around. The case is pending in court till the time TRAI submits its response. So while TRAI - which is completely against the idea of govt. owned MSOs and awaits Ministry’s response to its recommendations - awaits the responses, it could mean that Arasu is free to operate. Moreover, it can even give digital signals or seed STBs as TRAI can’t take any action against it, given that the MSO has a temporary licence.

FYI , this is not the comments given by IB. It is given by the reporter.

Yes , with provisional CAS license Arasu can seed STB , nobody says it cann't. But , mind this is provisional license and with condition

It was on the condition that after TRAI recommendations are considered, the Ministry will decide whether state governments/PSUs and other entities can enter into broadcasting activities including MSO/Cable operations.

What if IB decide not to give DAS license to Arasu based on TRAI recommendation? What will happen to it investment? what will happen to the customers who bought STB from Arasu?![/quote]

 

[HOUSE-MD]

FYI , this is not the comments given by IB. It is given by the reporter.

Yes , with provisional CAS license Arasu can seed STB , nobody says it cann't. But , mind this is provisional license and with condition!

Who ever says it is not important, I've been telling the same for over 2 years and now the report says the same. It's not the person who is saying this, but the fact is 100% right. No current rule can stop Arasu from going CAS and CAS license can easily be used to supply and seed 100% STB's across Chennai.

What if IB decide not to give DAS license to Arasu based on TRAI recommendation? What will happen to it investment? what will happen to the customers who bought STB from Arasu?!

Good question, i think the Madras HC has already given an excellent and supportive reply on it.

The petitioner (Arasu) had been permitted for multi system operations. Considering that the petitioner had applied to the Centre for DAS licence, the court felt that the centre was not justified in keeping the matter pending.

When the authorities of the Centre and the State were not in a position to take a decision on the DAS licence as the case may be, the ultimate sufferers were innocent subscribers.

Therefore, he was of the considered opinion that the subscribers could not be put to hardship and irreparable loss. As such there could not be any disconnection of signals to the subscribers by the authorities.