Public to comment on TV fees
By Zha Minjie |
November 6, 2009, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
SHANGHAI residents are facing an increase in their monthly cable TV bills that could run as high as 77 percent as the city switches from analog signals to digital.
City regulators announced two price adjustment plans for comment yesterday. A public hearing is scheduled for November 23 to solicit opinions on the plans.
Under one scheme, the monthly cable TV fee would rise from the current 13 (US$1.90) yuan to 23 yuan per household, regardless of how many signal ports a family has. The current fee was established in 2001.
The other plan would charge 21 yuan for each signal port, which normally serves a single TV set. Subscribers have to pay another 3 yuan for each extra port they install.
"The plans will be discussed carefully before a final decision is made," said Lu Yun of the Shanghai Development and Reform Commission.
The city will provide subsidies to cover part of the fees for low-income residents.
The 2.18 billion yuan TV upgrade will eventually cover about 2.5 million households in the downtown. They should be able to enjoy better image quality on their sets in 2011 when the switch to digital is completed.
The transformation has already been finished for more than 600,000 downtown households, according to the Oriental Cable Network Co.
About 200,000 homes will go digital by the end of this year in Xuhui, Putuo, Zhabei, Hongkou, Yangpu, Huangpu, Changning, Luwan and Jing'an districts and parts of the Pudong New Area.
As might be expected, not all cable customers embraced the proposals.
"The price increase is acceptable only if the future image quality can be guaranteed," said Ni Liming, a 45-year-old resident in Putuo District.
Li Chengjun, a 22-year-old student, doesn't want to pay any more for TV service and plans to cancel it when the changeover begins.
Everyone who does participate will gain access to the current 61 TV channels plus 15 new channels on the digital system and 20 radio channels after the switch.
City regulators announced two price adjustment plans for comment yesterday. A public hearing is scheduled for November 23 to solicit opinions on the plans.
Under one scheme, the monthly cable TV fee would rise from the current 13 (US$1.90) yuan to 23 yuan per household, regardless of how many signal ports a family has. The current fee was established in 2001.
The other plan would charge 21 yuan for each signal port, which normally serves a single TV set. Subscribers have to pay another 3 yuan for each extra port they install.
"The plans will be discussed carefully before a final decision is made," said Lu Yun of the Shanghai Development and Reform Commission.
The city will provide subsidies to cover part of the fees for low-income residents.
The 2.18 billion yuan TV upgrade will eventually cover about 2.5 million households in the downtown. They should be able to enjoy better image quality on their sets in 2011 when the switch to digital is completed.
The transformation has already been finished for more than 600,000 downtown households, according to the Oriental Cable Network Co.
About 200,000 homes will go digital by the end of this year in Xuhui, Putuo, Zhabei, Hongkou, Yangpu, Huangpu, Changning, Luwan and Jing'an districts and parts of the Pudong New Area.
As might be expected, not all cable customers embraced the proposals.
"The price increase is acceptable only if the future image quality can be guaranteed," said Ni Liming, a 45-year-old resident in Putuo District.
Li Chengjun, a 22-year-old student, doesn't want to pay any more for TV service and plans to cancel it when the changeover begins.
Everyone who does participate will gain access to the current 61 TV channels plus 15 new channels on the digital system and 20 radio channels after the switch.
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