KTMT recommendations on full exploitation of CATV digitization for quick penetration of broadband in the country stand vindicated.Total structural separation of carriage from content has been very strongly recommended by KTMT. It means all networks fixed, wireless, satellite, submarine cable, CATV, DTH, terrestrial, FM and AM must be governed by the MICT and all content text, audio, video, TV, music, songs, films, images, graphics, maps etc must be governed by the MIB. Such a structure at a national level is a must for fast track growth of digital economy, digital governance and national security and public safety. We have a live example of this. You Tube the world's largest content hosting (video and audio) warehouse has nothing to do with carriage which is the job of the carriers world wide.

The news item below just is a small step albeit a good beginning trying to formalize bringing the 60,000 Local Cable Operators (LCOs) having CATV access to more than 100 million homes providing TV services to more than 420 million people (assuming each house has 4.2 family members on an average as per the CSO) into network interconnection mechanism between national carriers and LCOs. Hopefully CATV digitization exercise currently going on in the country yields a digital, converged, next generation, ubiquitous last mile network meant to carry seamlessly TV and non TV services like IPOC and EOC giving true broadband access to 420 million people.

The fact that carriers need high speed, high capacity back haul for their mobile networks for cell sites, small cells, femto cells and Wi-Fi hot spots which is the real oxygen for them to survive and provide mobile broadband and take the country on fast track for broadband access any time any where, this is only a small step and total structural separation is a must.

Unified License Policy opens up rural broadband for cable TV players
Hindu Business Line

Cable operators could soon become the last link for Internet in rural areas and villages, where the big daddies of broadband have little or no presence. According to the draft of the proposed Unified License Policy, telecom players and broadband players will be allowed to appoint cable operators as franchisees to use the last mile linkages in rural areas. Cable Operators will have to be registered under the Cable Television Networks (Regulations) Act 1995 and its amendments.