Nepal has finally switched off its Analog cable TV signal (at least in papers for local cable TV operators). As per the directives from Ministry of information and communication (MOIC), analog cable TV is going to be blocked at first in metro, sub-metro and municipality areas. Earlier also, in several occasions the directives for analog TV shutdown was made but it never happened. But now this time, MOIC and service providers are found to be more serious in implementing this. They have already met with all the stakeholders to make it happen.
Analog cable TV shut down is being done so as to transform current cable TV service into digital one. As it takes some time to install the new equipment for digital cable TV, MOIC had given some period to the cable operators to prepare and operate the Digital TV service. Now almost all of the cable TV providers have digital TV service in place and from sometime they have been shifting some TV channels to digital one only.
MOIC have also put deadline of Baishak 15, 2075 to shift all the analog cable TV in the Village bodies as well. After that, they are not going to renew the license if some operators won’t go for the digitization.
MOIC is going with the shutdown of analog cable TV as per their compliance with the ITU’s policy for the cut off of analog technology worldwide. For the operation of digital cable TV, each customer/ TV needs to put a Set top Box.
