NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has granted a permanent (ten-year) license to the Uttar Pradesh based multi system operator (MSO) Eminent Cable Network. With this the number of MSOs, who have got permanent licences has gone up to 231.

This also takes the total number of MSOs to get a license to 655 including 424, who have got provisional registration in all urban areas in the country.

The MIB by 12 January cancelled the licences of 26 MSOs and closed their cases. It had initially cancelled the licences of 30, but restored those of four of whom one – Tanuku Communication Network from Andhra Pradesh – was given a provisional registration and another - Eminent Cable Network from UP - is the latest entrant to the permanent licensees.  

As was reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com, of the provisional licensees, a total of 12 MSOs were given provisional licences on 12 January and another 30 on 1 January, 2016.

The other two licensees whose permanent licences had been cancelled but have been restored are Skynet Digital Services and Silverline Entertainment, both for most parts of Uttar Pradesh.

An earlier list had put the figure at 382 provisional licensees on 31 December, 2015 the day the analogue signals were to be switched off, showing 45 new MSOs had been added in the last fortnight of 2015.

With the Home Ministry directive about doing away with security clearances for MSOs not being communicated in writing to the MIB, the pace remains slow.

The new licensees covering 11 states include one MSOs in the northeast for Tripura, but it also includes two MSOs in Tamil Nadu and one in Chhattisgarh where DAS Phase III remains stayed.

The other states covered include Haryana, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Padesh, and Kerala.

The permanent licence issued to Kal Cable of Chennai had been cancelled on 20 August, 2014 but this cancellation was set aside by Madras High Court on 5 September the same year. However, Kal Cable’s name continues to be in the Cancelled List – presumably because the cases are still pending.

The number of MSOs was 612 on 31 December, 567 in mid-December, 553 by 24 November and 470 earlier in November, but this increase was merely in those who have provisional licences.

Sources said many MSOs holding provisional licences had not completed certain formalities relating to shareholders and so on.