Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has extended the cut-off date for Phase IV to 31st March, 2017 in lieu of uncertainty in the market due to pending court cases and unsatisfactory progress of installation of Set Top Boxes (STBs) in Phase IV areas.
Digitisation in rural areas was targeted to be achieved by 31st December, 2016 under Phase IV.
Ministry of I&B has also decided to provide adequate time for the remaining subscribers in Phase III areas to switch over to digital mode of transmission by 31st January, 2017 on account of ongoing court proceedings.
In Phase III areas, Digitisation in remaining urban areas in the country was to be completed by 31st December, 2015.
Ministry would be issuing instructions to all the Broadcasters, Multi System Operators (MSOs), Local Cable Operators (LCOs) and the Authorised Officers to ensure that no analog signals would be transmitted over the cable networks in Phase III areas after 31st January, 2017. It is also made clear that no further extension of time would be allowed.
The Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Amendment Act, 2011 has made it mandatory for switch-over of the existing analogue Cable TV networks to Digital Addressable System (DAS) in four phases.
Digital switch-over has already taken place in Phase-I and II areas.
