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NASHIK: With the Union government notification stipulating March 31 as the deadline for all cable TV subscribers to install Set Top Boxes (STBs) and shift to a digital addressable cable TV system (DAS), the minimum rental of cable connections - after entertainment companies announce their bouquet of various programmes - is likely to go up to Rs 240 per month, Rs 40 more than the current average rental.
"The installation of STBs under Conditional Access System (CAS) in Nashik has already brought all the customers under the purview of entertainment tax and with additional entertainment packages, the charges are likely to go up to Rs 240," one of the cable operators in the city said on the condition of anonymity.
After March 31, analogue signal service in the city will not be available for viewing cable television and hence installation of STBs for catching the digital signal has been made mandatory. The installation of STBs with unique identity numbers has also brought every customer under the tax purview and hence the customers who would initially pay Rs 100 to Rs 180 per month will now have to pay Rs 200 as minimum rental from April 1.
"Because of the hike in excise charges, the rates of STBs will go up by 10% while the monthly rental for service provider will not exceed Rs 200. But the same minimum charges are expected to be done away with the companies announcing the new package system," another operator pointed out.
Given the infrastructure charges required to provide connections to the customers, the installation of new equipment, updating them and maintaining them and providing service to the customers, the minimum expenses the cable operators incur will be around Rs 150 and hence the monthly minimum package that would consist of all free to air channels only, would not be valued less than Rs 170.
"The base price of Rs 170, plus the entertainment tax of Rs 45 per connection per month, and the taxes to the government put the package at Rs 240 per month. One company has a minimum package of Rs 170, while some others have Rs 190 as base package and that would mean the customer being charged Rs 270 by those companies," the operator said.
Cable charges may go up to Rs 240 per month - The Times of India
"The installation of STBs under Conditional Access System (CAS) in Nashik has already brought all the customers under the purview of entertainment tax and with additional entertainment packages, the charges are likely to go up to Rs 240," one of the cable operators in the city said on the condition of anonymity.
After March 31, analogue signal service in the city will not be available for viewing cable television and hence installation of STBs for catching the digital signal has been made mandatory. The installation of STBs with unique identity numbers has also brought every customer under the tax purview and hence the customers who would initially pay Rs 100 to Rs 180 per month will now have to pay Rs 200 as minimum rental from April 1.
"Because of the hike in excise charges, the rates of STBs will go up by 10% while the monthly rental for service provider will not exceed Rs 200. But the same minimum charges are expected to be done away with the companies announcing the new package system," another operator pointed out.
Given the infrastructure charges required to provide connections to the customers, the installation of new equipment, updating them and maintaining them and providing service to the customers, the minimum expenses the cable operators incur will be around Rs 150 and hence the monthly minimum package that would consist of all free to air channels only, would not be valued less than Rs 170.
"The base price of Rs 170, plus the entertainment tax of Rs 45 per connection per month, and the taxes to the government put the package at Rs 240 per month. One company has a minimum package of Rs 170, while some others have Rs 190 as base package and that would mean the customer being charged Rs 270 by those companies," the operator said.
Cable charges may go up to Rs 240 per month - The Times of India
