Arasu cable’s new tech to reach 30 L subscribers

CHENNAI: The state-owned Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV Corporation (TACTV) has decided to set up an independent multi Conditional Access System (CAS) to reach about 30 lakh subscribers across the State.

At present, TACTV provides cable TV services with 99-100 Channels, including free-to-air channels, pay channels and private local channels with a customer base of about 62.17 lakh. A senior official from TACTV told DT Next that the latest CAS will be capable of serving an estimated subscriber base of 30 lakh individuals and will be designed for seamless integration with a new Subscriber Management System (SMS) to be procured, as well as future acquisitions of HD set top boxes.

Stating that the new system supports at least five different types of set top box of various manufacturers, he said “CAS would be installed after selecting a service provider firm through proper and transparent bidding process.” “The new CAS will also integrate with the new SMS to be procured by TACTV”, he said. The selected firm will ensure the compatibility of the proposed CAS solution with TACTV’s existing infrastructure, including head-end equipment and new subscriber management systems, he added. The new system will support a graphical interface for creating new service offerings, with a capability to support at least 1,000 bouquets/packages, he said.

According to the official, the CAS will not have the facility to activate and deactivate a set top box directly from the CAS terminal and all activation and deactivation of set top boxes will be done with the commands of the subscriber management system. He said the CAS will have cable operator billing software, which allows for online selection of channel packages that provides subscribers to choose and enjoy viewing as per their choice.