TV Digitization holds significance in making India digital

VARINDIA- INDIA'S FRONTLINE IT MAGAZINE

Shri Prakash Javadekar, Minister for Information and Broadcasting, has said the Digitization process was an integral component of the Digital India initiative of the Prime Minister. The Cable TV Digitization process aimed at providing the consumer with greater choices and affordable and qualitative options. The overall objective was to be sensitive to the needs and choice of the consumer. The choice of the consumer was paramount in defining the inputs, strategies and roadmap for the remaining phases of the digitization process. The Minister stated this while addressing the first meeting of the Task Force set up for Cable TV Digitization (Phase III and Phase IV) here today. Elaborating further, Shri Javadekar called upon the manufacturers to innovate and explore new technologies for addressing the different consumer tastes and needs. The Minister added that in the next phase of digitization, the price mechanism offered to the consumer would be a key determinant of the process. This was due to the digitization process being extended to rural areas. As a consequence, it was mandatory for all stakeholders to sensitize the consumers on the benefits of the process in view of the rural outreach of the programme. Regarding indigenization of the Set-Top Boxes, the Minister said that the concerns of the industry had been taken up with the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Communications & IT and accordingly Set-Top Boxes were declared as part of “telecommunication network”. After these steps, “C form” issue for the industry had been resolved. The Minister called upon the concerned stakeholders to take advantage of this initiative undertaken by the Government. During the course of his address, the Minister also mentioned that the Task Force ought to identify timelines for implementation so as to ensure the timely completion of the Phase III and Phase IV.