By IANS
New Delhi : Of the people using the Conditional Access System (CAS) for viewing satellite television at least 70 percent are not satisfied with it and want to return to the previous system, reveals a study conducted by the Voluntary Organisation In Interest of Consumers Education (VOICE).
The Delhi based non-government organisation conducted the study covering a sample of 1,000 cable television service subscribers within South Delhi, the area designated for implementation of CAS under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995 by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), with effect from Jan 1 this year.
VOICE, which will present its report to the ministry for information and broadcasting, has recommended that the government should consider holding back CAS till problems with the system are resolved.
“The government may have to consider holding back CAS till policy makers figure out how to ensure proper monitoring, which impacts billing, reception quality and so on,” Bejon Misra, executive director VOICE, said at a press conference here Tuesday.
According to the report, more than 53 percent consumers felt their monthly cable television bill has increased, while 40 percent of the subscribers said the reception quality has not improved. Thirty-five percent viewers have unauthorized subscriptions, found set top boxes defective, and were not satisfied with the complaint redress system.
“Complaint redressal and access to the multi-system operators (MSOs), which supply feed to cable operators, are some other issues that are yet to be addressed by the government regulatory authority,” added Misra.
Nearly 35 percent of consumers in South Delhi are not covered by CAS, which is illegal, and causes huge loss for the government as well as the broadcasting industry because of tax evasion.
“The state government and regulatory authorities must take steps to enforce CAS properly, regular consultation with users, create consumer awareness, provide prompt problem redress and then take the policy forward,” said Hemant Kumar, technical advisor VOICE.