BANGALORE, India — Converting transmission technology from analog to digital across India and is expected to take until 2015 and will be done in a phased manner, beginning with the major cities.

The process will cost over a billion dollars according to initial estimates and a working group has been set up to outline the broad plan. This includes the investments from private sector players such as broadcasters, television set manufacturers and television cable companies too, according to a report from New Delhi in The Financial Express on Wednesday (July 26).

The process involves virtually all segments of the communication industry from television sets and transmission signals, cable services and distribution systems, radio sets and transmission, film projection and distribution and wireless telephony. The plan is to work along the phased digitalization process China has embarked upon, the report added.