The Union information and broadcasting ministry has recognised six more bodies of cable operators as Multi System Operators (MSOs). This takes the number of MSOs in the Calcutta Metropolitan Development Agency area to 11.

“Very soon, quality service and pocket-friendly fee will be the only means of increasing the subscriber base. The criteria will be the same for the Direct-To-Home (DTH) service providers,” predicted an official of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), which is set to introduce Conditional Access System (CAS) in the city by January 2007.

The cable operators are happy at having more MSOs to choose from.

“Problems between the MSOs (which distribute signals to the neighbourhood cable operators) and the channels used to cost us dear. We were losing our credibility due to frequent blackouts and poor signal quality,” said cable operator Biswajit Sen.

Mrinal Chatterjee, a partner in Calcutta Cable and Broadband Pariseva, which was granted the MSO status early this month, observed: “DTH operators have a tier system — a set number of channels for a fixed fee. They have four or five tiers at best. In comparison, once CAS is implemented, we will offer viewers total customisability at Rs 5 per channel.”

In keeping with a TRAI regulation, the MSOs will provide 50 free-to-air channels for Rs 77. A market study has revealed that a household, on an average, watches 15 or less pay channels. That being the case, the cable bill under CAS will not cross Rs 152 plus taxes. Hence, industry insiders foresee a fall in expenditure on cable television.

“In terms of picture and sound quality, we will be on a par with any service provider. Currently, the signal reaches a subscriber’s house through a network of optic cables. Coaxial cables were used earlier. There is no data or signal loss in optic cables so the question of poor picture quality does not arise,” added Chatterjee.