Every household in Sindh province will have to buy a Rs. 5,000 digital device to watch Cable TV as PEMRA has ordered all cable operators to discontinue analog services starting January 1st, 2016.
In simpler words, your current cable TV connection will not work after December 31st, 2015 as cable TV operators have been asked by PEMRA to discontinue analog services.
After the deadline, only those with digital set-top boxes — sold for about Rs. 5,000 by all cable operators across Sindh — will be able to avail cable TV services.
PEMRA confirmed to ProPakistani that they’ve sent out letters to cable operators from Sindh to stop using the old analog cable TV system that they normally use to deliver services to subscribers.
Which means that cable operators will have to get their consumers to invest in digital set top boxes in order to watch their favorite channels and TV programming.
Below is the official letter from PEMRA that’s sent to cable operators in Sindh:
[attachment=0]PEMRA_Letter-1.jpg[/attachment]
The Newest Directive from PEMRA Raises Questions for all Stakeholders
The sudden timing and the deadline behind this move raises eyebrows. The letter has given cable operators just one month to phase out years old analog system.
Secondly, this move means that consumers’ days of availing cheap and economical cable TV services are over. To avail cable TV, subscribers will now have to shell out Rs. 5000 or more for installing digital set top boxes.
Thirdly, PEMRA has singled out one province to follow this new directive.
Given the everyday preferences of the average Pakistani households, investing in an expensive digital set top box means that many will be deprived of TV. Viewership levels are even in the danger of going down following this move.
Is this another way for an enterprising politician to make a quick buck? Another scam that’s foisted down the throats of the docile Pakistani populace? Or is it another measure that is necessitated by the government’s penchant for controlling access to content it deems ‘safe and unsafe.’
