Mobile TV, 1,000-channel cable on govt's to-do list for next five years

The government has laid out its priorities for the next five years in the broadcasting sector, which include multiple TV channels without cable, full high definition (HD) channels in the metros, TV on mobile and the 500-1,000 channels on your cable connection.

The biggest emphasis of the government’s strategic roadmap for the 12th plan (2012-17) is on a total phase-out of analogue transmission -- both over the air and on cable -- and providing TV channels on mobile-phones.

"(The) mobile screen is the best platform for delivering the benefits of television and mobile communications in one device," says the government in its “strategic plan” for the information and broadcasting ministry.

Mobile TV, which was recommended by TRAI in 2008, is yet to see the light of the day primarily because the government has failed to put in place the basic framework of which frequency and standard will be used, how many channels will be allowed, how the auction will be conducted etc. As a result, Nokia and Qualcomm, both of which promised that mobile TV will become a default feature of mobile phones like FM radio, seem both to have abandoned their plans to push models with built-in TV receivers.

The primary glitch had been finding the frequency as the most suitable one -- in the 700 MHz -- is being used by Doordarshan and the state-owned broadcaster and other government agencies will have to optimise their networks to accommodate the new service. The ministry, however, sounded optimistic about the prospects, according to the ‘plan’.

"The ministry will formulate policy guidelines for provision of Mobile TV services in India. The consumers will get more choice in watching television in terms of what they watch, how they watch and when they watch,” it said.

The other big move is on digitisation, where it has promised a total ‘wipe-out’ of analogue technology by the end of the 12th plan (March 2017.) TRAI had recently suggest March 2013 as the best date, but “since 6,000 cable headend and 60,000 cable operators are required to digitise their network, the time line may, therefore, be required to be postponed,” it pointed out. Digitisation will increase the capacity of cable networks from around 100 channels to 500 or even 1,000 or more, depending on the quality and technology.

However, before digitisation of cable, Doordarshan is likely to make the switch, both to digital as well as to HD in the metro cities. Doordarshan currently transmits HD content only over satellite. It is currently setting up HDTV studios and transmitters at the four metros, the plan said.

The number of FM channels is also likely to go from around 245 at present to more than 1,000 over the next three years, as the government opens up new cities for private channels.

However, conspicuous by its absence was any plan to similarly open up the terrestrial TV transmission to private operators, except in the case of mobile TV. Unlike India, most countries in the West allow private TV channels to transmit their signals from towers, allowing consumers to view the channels without using DTH or cable. However, the plan does talk of bring several channels of Doordarshan to the terrestrial network as the latter is converted to the digital format.