NEW DELHI: New members have been taken on board of the Task Force for Digital Addressable System (DAS) Phases III and IV headed by the Additional Secretary in the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

These include one additional member each from Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), and News Broadcasters Association (NBA).

In addition, the new members include Noida Technology Software Park as members representing HITS operator; Ortel Communications; and a representative each from four national MSOs - Den, Siticable, Hathway and IMCL - who were also members of the MSO Alliance; and the All India Digital Cable Federation.

The Government on 12 September last year had reconstituted the Task Force. This followed a revision of deadlines for the two final phases of DAS.

The other members of the Task Force are Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) principal advisor for broadcast and cable satellite, I&B Ministry joint secretary (Broadcasting), one other representative from the MSO Alliance, five independent MSOs one each from north, south, east, west and north east regions, five registered LCO associations one each from north, south, east, west and north east regions, representatives from the Indian Broadcasting Foundation, News Broadcasters Association, Association of Regional Television Broadcasters of India, DTH Association, FICCI, CII, ASSOCHAM, CEAMA, Department of Telecommunications, Department of Electronics and Information Technology, DG: Doordarshan, DG: All India Radio, BECIL, BIS, five prominent consumer organisations one each from north, south, east, west and north east regions and 33 state level nodal officers one each from the states/union territories governments.

The task force is aimed to act as an interface between the government and the industry in matters related to implementation of DAS in the cable TV sector and monitor the implementation of DAS. It also will have to analyze the roadblocks that may come in the way of digitization and suggest measures.