MSOs, cable operators lock horns

Jul 09, 2012 - Amar Tejaswi |

Hyderabad

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While the Union I&B ministry has observed inconsistencies in the data provided by cable companies or Multi System Operators (MSOs) regarding Set Top Boxes (STB) in metros, the same could be true about the city as well. Several cable operators allege that MSOs don't maintain data about STBs. MSOs price their STBs at different rates. “One prices it at `1,000, another at `600 while the remaining two give it free. It depends on demand. The demand for a particular MSO is due to the fact that they provide Islamic channels while others don’t. So it sells more,” a cable operator from the old city said.

The I&B ministry amended the Cable Television Network Rules and incorporated a new rule which now makes it mandatory for Local Cable Operators (LCO) and Multi System Operators (MSO) to provide info on inventories and the seeding of STBs. MSOs in the city, however, say that the amendment will not cause them any problems as they maintain accurate data about inventories and the seeding of STBs. A former employee of Siti Vision, one of the four main MSOs in the city, said that MSOs have nothing to fear as their data is up-to-date. Local operators say that the amendment is not going to affect them as only MSOs are answerable.

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