NEW DELHI: Even as the government has agreed to consider extension of four to five weeks for registration of multi system operators (MSO), who want to opt for phase III of the Digital Addressable System (DAS), the government has been asked to consider setting up regional units to facilitate such registrations.

Speaking at the task force meeting last week, several stakeholders also wanted online registration for MSO’s wanting to enter their names for phase III.

Ministry additional secretary J S Mathur, who chaired the meeting, also said that meetings were being organised between manufacturers of indigenous set top boxes and the Ministry of Information and Technology.

Mathur responding to queries from some MSO’s wanted them to prepare a list of areas in phase III which were currently not being reached by cable television. A member had pointed out that a Headend In The Sky (HITS) platform could be used in such areas.

Some consumer organisations which are part of the task force, said they will need to organise workshops in different parts of the country to help people understand DAS.  

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) representatives said that the association was planning such workshops in Kerala and Guwahati. Mathur asked CII to give him details of the workshops when they are scheduled.

Mathur regretted that the number of stakeholders attending the meetings was very minimal and expressed hope that later meetings will be attended by larger number of members.

In the last meeting it had been announced that the task force would meet every month to ensure deadlines are met and phase III of DAS comes into operation by December 2016.