‘Interoperable set-top boxes soon’

Television viewers can switch their cable or DTH operators without changing their set-top boxes by the end of this year, Trai Chairman R S Sharma said here.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has been working with DTH and cable operators to introduce interoperable set-top boxes.

With this, if television viewers want to change their cable or DTH operator, they do not have to replace their set-top box and instead can simply change the SIM card of their company, just like for mobile phones, he said.

In the telecom sector, interoperability of smartphones is one of the key reasons for massive growth as subscribers don't need to purchase a new phone when they change their service providers, Sharma said, while releasing the KPMG and Indian Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) report on open source operating system in smartphones in India.

To introduce a similar system in the broadcasting sector, the regulator has been working for quite some time. Interoperable set-top boxes will help the consumers as they need not purchase the new set-top box when they change service providers, he said.

Since the consumers pay for the purchase of the set-top box, they should own it, he said.