The Digitalisation of Cable networks has left many questions unanswered. General Public are confused, troubled and also fuming over ACN, for various reasons. To find some of the answers of genuine questions raised by public Andaman Sheekha contacted Mr. G Dinakaran, the co-partner of ACN.
AS: People are unhappy and confused. There are allegations that ACN has failed to introduce Digital Service, without disturbing ACN’s analog service.
Dinakaran: Actually we are forced to take out 30 channels from analog service because we have limited bandwidth and for digital services we needed additional bandwidth. Nevertheless we have again added fifteen more channels in Analog Service and we will soon add five more. 70 channels will be the maximum we can provide in Analog Service. Earlier were providing total 80 channels to analog customers.
Because of government norms we have to complete the Digitalization process before 2014 hence we have to introduce the service now so that the process is over by 2014.
Q: There are allegations that ACN is looting public by selling the Set Top Boxes at astronomical high rate just because there is no competition in market.
Dinakaran: Customers must understand that the cost of bringing each Set Top Box from China to Port Blair comes around Rs. 1976 { Rs. 1540 (ex-godown price in china) + Rs. 30 (cost of agent and shipment to Chennai} + Rs. 30 (custom charges) + Rs. 15 (clearing and forwarding from Chennai to Port Blair) + Rs. 90 (Octroi at Port Blair). ACN is getting a margin of just Rs. 26 on each STB while dealers deserves to get atleast 10 percent margin i.e Rs. 200 on each box, as they have their own expenses also.
We have participated in many fairs in Mainland and studied STBs for one year and then ordered for these MPEG4 Set Top Boxes. If we bring MPEG2 STBs then customers won’t be able to see nearly 20 channels out of 300 we are providing now. Moreover the quality of MPEG4 is best and it has additional facilities of using pendrive and recording programmes.
Even customs officials had refused to accept that MPEG4 boxes will be sold in Andaman @ Rs. 2200 hence then charged custom duty @Rs 2600. But we are charging just Rs. 2200, as we had already promised this long back.
AS: People believe that ACN is charging excessive monthly subscription from customers and there is no option for them to choose channels.
Dinakaran: At present channels are not charging us as per the viewership. Till 2014 we will have to pay for packages to the channels and hence instead of giving them choice to choose some channel and pay almost Rs. 300/- we are allowing them to see all 300 channels and charging just Rs. 350/-. Why to deprive public till 2014 when we can show them all 300 available channels in limited price.
I appreciate the proactiveness in Digitisaton of Cable Network by ACN, but the point is if the end customers do not get the intended benefits of digitisaion (choice of channels as per their liking), the purpose gets defeated.
I sincerely believe, ACN will wake up to this and allow the customers the freedom to choose the channels.
i prefer to watch only hindi and some english channels but now i am paying for all others channels too, i think it is injustice. customers should have right to choose their channels and they should pay for the channel they watched.
i think deliberately all channel are imposed on customer to pay and watch.
In couple of months, the rate of STB has crashed down from Rs.2800/- to Rs.600/- only. HOW??? Only b’coz a competitor “JAINHITS” has come in market. Even it is heard that existing cable operators are not allowing any co. to break there monopoly.