Digital Indian Gov

The new rollout by the telecom regulatory authority of India concerning the DTH industry has caused the subscribers to rethink their choice of the DTH operators and many are migrating to new service providers

The new tariff regime introduced by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has brought a lot of changes in the DTH and broadcasting industry. Owing to this new regulatory framework, pricing wasn’t the only thing that changed, but instead, things also changed on the business side as the viewership, service norms and quality norms were also transformed. This proved to be a test for the DTH providers as now these operators had to adhere to these strict norms and they were in direct scrutiny of the regulator. However, this has helped us in identifying the operators which are providing the best services and proving to be the top choice of the subscribers. So in case you are thinking of switching your DTH service provider, you must go through the below-given options.

Tata Sky is easily one of the biggest DTH service provider in the country. After the Trai mandate though, the operator was slow to list the new channel packs and pricing. However, it is safe to say that Tata Sky has done a commendable job of introducing a smooth migration process for the subscribers. After the mandate, Tata Sky has launched tons of HD and SD packs for the subscribers in regional languages as well. There are also Mini-packs in the portfolio and combined with the straightforward app and website based migration process Tata Sky has managed to stay on top of the preference list of a lot of subscribers. The operator also remains ahead of other operators by boasting as many as 65 exclusive channels. Furthermore, the DTH operator has recently removed lock-in period on paid channels which is another good news for the subscribers.

Notably, D2h was the first operator to respond after the Trai mandate came out back in October. The operator was also quick to start the migration process ahead of others and hoped for subscriber addition to its existing base in the interim. Later the operator introduced many combo plans and topped them up with add-on packs in SD and HD and many packs in regional languages as well. Recently, D2h has also put out information about additional connections as well, noting that subscribers can avail them by only paying Rs 50 as flat NCF.

However, D2h subscribers have faced and are still facing a lot of issues related to various channels. In fact, most of the consumers are still not able to reach the company’s toll-free number for clarifying their doubts.

Dish TV is also offering similar combo packs to the consumers since it’s the one who operates D2h. Recently, Trai has issued a notice to Dish TV and D2h for not following the guidelines implemented by the regulator.

Bharti Airtel’s DTH wing also boasts of an impressive subscriber base of more than 15 million in the country. The operator, after the Trai mandate, introduced many channel packs for its subscribers. To ease up the process in a better way, Airtel Digital TV also made it possible for the subscribers to select their new channels via the Set-Top Box only. The operator also launched lots of regional channel packs, but as of late Trai has put Airtel Digital TV in crosshair after some subscribers of Airtel Digital lodged their grievance about missing channels and black screens although the problem was quickly resolved soon after. While Airtel Digital TV subscribers has the freedom to choose a lot of channel packs, they are often facing issues related to billing and some are even terming Airtel Digital TV’s billing system is completely broken.

Sun Direct is a prominent DTH provider in the south, and it is safe to say that although the provider does not boast of a widespread network in the North, it has established a solid stronghold in South India. Further, the move of completely doing away with additional slab NCF charges made Sun Direct an attractive choice for a lot of subscribers. Following in the lines of other DTH providers, Sun Direct has launched new channel packs, regional channel and add-on packs in HD, SD. Also, it’s possibly the only operator to offer a wide-range of channel packs for longer durations. For example, Sun Direct has nearly three DPO packs in every language and it’s offering them for a period of up to 12 months.

After weeks of noticing the happenings in the DTH industry, we have noted that in terms of the number of channels and number of channel packs, ease of migration and customer service Tata Sky is the DTH provider which has managed to satisfy the subscribers to a large extent. The provider had also launched a similar offer as Sun Direct and Dish TV by doing away with NCF on select channels. The tariff migration is almost completed, but there are still some subscribers who’re facing issues in terms of billing, channel packs and much more.

Do let us know what you experienced with your DTH provider in the comments section below.

Best DTH Provider After New Trai Mandate: Tata Sky, Airtel Digital TV, D2h or Sun Direct?

1. D2h raced ahead of other providers in the migration process, but its consumers are still facing a lot of issues

2. Sun Direct, Tata Sky and Dish TV did away with additional slab NCF charges to attract more customers.

Tata Sky

Tata Sky is easily one of the biggest DTH service provider in the country. After the Trai mandate though, the operator was slow to list the new channel packs and pricing. However, it is safe to say that Tata Sky has done a commendable job of introducing a smooth migration process for the subscribers. After the mandate, Tata Sky has launched tons of HD and SD packs for the subscribers in regional languages as well. There are also Mini-packs in the portfolio and combined with the straightforward app and website based migration process Tata Sky has managed to stay on top of the preference list of a lot of subscribers. The operator also remains ahead of other operators by boasting as many as 65 exclusive channels. Fun2Ind.com

D2h

Notably, D2h was the first operator to respond after the Trai mandate came out back in October. The operator was also quick to start the migration process ahead of others and hoped for subscriber addition to its existing base in the interim. Later the operator introduced many combo plans and topped them up with add-on packs in SD and HD and many packs in regional languages as well. Recently, D2h has also put out information about additional connections as well, noting that subscribers can avail them by only paying Rs 50 as flat NCF. MobAsk.com

However, D2h subscribers have faced and are still facing a lot of issues related to various channels. In fact, most of the consumers are still not able to reach the company’s toll-free number for clarifying their doubts.

Dish TV is also offering similar combo packs to the consumers since it’s the one who operates D2h.

Airtel Digital TV

Bharti Airtel’s DTH wing also boasts of an impressive subscriber base of more than 15 million in the country. The operator, after the Trai mandate, introduced many channel packs for its subscribers. To ease up the process in a better way, Airtel Digital TV also made it possible for the subscribers to select their new channels via the Set-Top Box only. The operator also launched lots of regional channel packs, but as of late Trai has put Airtel Digital TV in crosshair after some subscribers of Airtel Digital lodged their grievance about missing channels and black screens although the problem was quickly resolved soon after. SoAs.in

Sun Direct

Sun Direct is a prominent DTH provider in the south, and it is safe to say that although the provider does not boast of a widespread network in the North, it has established a solid stronghold in South India. Further, the move of completely doing away with additional slab NCF charges made Sun Direct an attractive choice for a lot of subscribers. Following in the lines of other DTH providers, Sun Direct has launched new channel packs, regional channel and add-on packs in HD, SD.

Verdict

After weeks of noticing the happenings in the DTH industry, we have noted that in terms of the number of channels and number of channel packs, ease of migration and customer service Tata Sky is the DTH provider which has managed to satisfy the subscribers to a large extent. The provider had also launched a similar offer as Sun Direct by doing away with NCF on select channels. With that being said, it is also worth noting that as the days pass DTH providers are easing into the migration process, and the move to the new Trai plans along with the customer service can be expected to improve for all DTH companies in the coming weeks. Do let us know what you experienced with your DTH provider in the comments section below.

Tata Sky Now Comes Up With HD Add On Packs Across Various Categories, Prices Starting at Rs 5

Tata Sky Now Comes Up With HD Add On Packs Across Various Categories, Prices Starting at Rs 5

Tata Sky HD Add On Packs Launched: What Do They Offer?

Tata Sky Now Comes Up With HD Add On Packs Across Various Categories, Prices Starting at Rs 5

Moving onto the SD Add On plans introduced by Tata Sky, they include Hindi News (Rs 5), Cricket Hindi (Rs 42), Cricket English (Rs 44), Music (Rs 7), Knowledge & Lifestyle Mini (Rs 21), Knowledge & Lifestyle (Rs 34), English News (Rs 23), English Entertainment (Rs 49), English Movies Mini (Rs 55), English Movies (Rs 82), Kids Mini (Rs 28) and Kids (Rs 35). The entire Add On packs can be viewed from Tata Sky’s website. soas.in

To recall, a couple of days ago, Tata Sky introduced a plethora of Regional Channel packs at a starting price of just Rs 7. Tata Sky unveiled 14 regional packs across various languages- Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali, Odia and Marathi. These regional packs from Tata Sky can be availed on top of the Basic FTA pack of Rs 153. For the unaware, to avail any broadcaster channels, users will have to pay Rs 153 per month as FTA charges, according to the new pricing scheme introduced by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. mobask.com

In other news, Tata Sky has already started activating the new packs selected by users based on the new Trai pricing scheme. Some Tata Sky users are complaining regarding the issues they’re facing while migration. The Telecom Regulatory already issued a showcause notice to Airtel Digital TV as the DTH service provider is not following the Trai’s rule of the smooth migration.

Dish TV DTH channels selection: How to choose channels online as per TRAI’s new rules

Dish TV DTH channels selection: How to choose channels online as per TRAI’s new rules

Dish TV has listed all of the channels along with their list price on their official website according to TRAI’s new guidelines. If you haven’t selected, which channels you want, here’s how you will be able to do it. soas.in

For selecting channels that any Dish TV subscriber wants to watch, they can log in to the company’s official website or mobile application with their registered mobile number or subscriber ID. The company will then send an OTP to the customers registered mobile number, which can be used to sign in. Fun2Ind.com

Once the Dish TV DTH subscriber is logged in to the website or the mobile app they will then get to see their current DTH service details, like the amount of money they have in their digital wallet, plans and much more. There they can then choose between three broad categories – Dish Combo, Channels, Bouquets. MobAsk.com

If the user decides to pick all their channels manually, they will be required to select a minimum of 100 channels to keep their connection live. HD (High Definition) channels are counted as two SD (Standard Definition) channels, so if the user selects 50 HD channels, he can leave the rest and enjoy those 50 channels. Subscribers can filter their search by selecting a language or category like English, Infotainment, Kids. msnTarGet.com

The price will constantly keep on updating in the user’s cart. The network capacity fee (NCF) has been set by TRAI and is the same for all operators. The NCF is Rs 130 along with 18 per cent GST, the total of which amounts to Rs 153. There are many channels like Star Plus and Sony, for which the subscribers will have to pay an extra fee, due to these being marked as paid channels.

NCF per 25 extra channels over 100 basic channels, will require the consumer to pay Rs 25 extra. All DD channels are mandatory and can’t be removed from a customers list.

Are you still confused about the new DTH regulations and channel selection process and their pricing or are you feeling lazy to call up the customer care of your TV service provide? This web application might be the answer to your quest of knowing how much more your channels are going to cost on the basis of channels you want to watch.

To make things easier for consumers, TRAI has introduced a new web application called Channel Selector. Users can use this application to customize the channels they want to watch and also check the MRP (Maximum Retail Price) for their package. However, in order to apply that package or channels to their respective DTH connection, users have to visit the service provider website or contact customer care. msnTarGet.com

January 31 being the last date to switch to the new DTH plans, here’s how you can customize channels based on your interest and check the monthly rental for your package using this application.

1. Visit ‘https://channel.trai.gov.in/index.html’ using your PC, smartphone or laptop. Fun2Ind.com

2. Now, click on ‘Get Started’ button from the bottom of the page. SoAs.in

3. Enter your name under the given field and click Continue Note: Providing name is optional. You can skip if you don't want to share your name. msnTarGet.com

4. In the next step, select your state and click Continue. MobAsk.com

5. Now, choose your prefered languages from the given options 

6. To make the things easier, select the genres of your interest such as Sports, Music, News, etc. SoAs.in

7. Then, it will ask to choose the channel type (SD/HD/both) and continue. Fun2Ind.com

8. After the above step, it will redirect to ‘Pay Channels’ page 

9. On this page, you can select all the paid channels you want to watch and also check the price of individual channel or bouquets. MobAsk.com

After selecting the channel, the total amount will be shown at the top-right corner of the page Click on ‘View selection’ button and to check the detailed information on your package. msnTarGet.com

For those unaware, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) has implemented new rules and regulations for the television and broadcast sector, consumers now have the ability to choose the channels they want to watch and they will have to pay for those paid channels only.

While the new TRAI Cable TV Rules are going to be effective in a few days, the confusion among customers continue. While you have the liberty to choose what you want to watch now, it’s still not clear how to do it. soas.in

Soon, the days will be over where you no more will have to pay for the channels you don’t watch. The base Rs 130 pack can have 100 SD under the latest TRAI cable TV ruling. has issued another clarification. So the Rs 130 base after taxes will cost Rs 153.40. mobask.com

You can add a-la carte channels to your Rs 130 base pack. To choose channels, either you have to contact your cable TV operator or can do it by yourself. Fun2Ind.com

Step 1. Search for Electronic Programme Guide (EPG). This will include the maximum retail price (MRP) of all the channels. mobask.com

Step 2. You can see the price of an a-la carte channel in the Electronic Programme Guide (EPG).

Step 3. If you can’t find the Electronic Programme Guide (EPG), you can find the respective prices in the Menu option of your set top boxes. soas.in

[Note: TataSky customers will not see the option, as the DTH operator is yet to start its migration.]

Step 4. All the prices will be managed by your Distribution Platform Operator (DPO), who can also offer a discount on the MRP displayed on the EPG. fun2ind.com

Step 5. If you wish to choose a bouquet of channels from a single broadcaster, like Star or Sony, you can choose the pack instead of a-la carte channels. msntarget.com

Under the new TRAI Cable TV regulations, you are allowed to choose what you wish to watch. This can either be paid channels in the form of bouquet or a-la carte or FTA (Free To Air) channels.

While TRAI said you can add any channel you want, it comes with certain limitations. This is where the confusion is created. There are basically free to air channels, paid channels and bouquet of pay channels. Under the Rs 130 base pack, you can choose a combination of these type of channels. MsnTarGet.com

January 31 is the last date. You will have choose your pack by the TRAI deadline.

There has been a lot of confusion as to which paid channels you can choose as part of your Rs 130 base pack. Under the base pack, apart from the FTA (Free To Air) channels, you can choose any paid channel, and the cost keeps adding up. But do remember, that you can only add up to a total of 100 channels under the base pack. mobask.com

Now supposedly if you want to add more channels, then you will have to pay Rs 25 extra for every 20 channels, excluding their individual prices.

Do mind, that the base pack starts at Rs 130 (before taxes), which is the standard package for all the Cable TV users across the country. soas.in

Finally, if you still cannot find any pricing details, kindly visit your DTH provider’s website for the channel pricing details. Again, India’s largest DTH operator, TataSky is yet to start its migration. So, TataSky users will have to wait till the company starts to roll out new plans.

Following implementation of new regulations imposed on DTH service providers and cable operators by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), you can now reduce your monthly TV bill by limiting your subscription to only those TV channels you watch. Consumers have been given time till the end of this month to make a choice for uninterrupted service after January. In the new regulations, any DTH provider like Airtel DTH TV, Tata Sky or Dish TV can charge a maximum of only Rs 130, excluding GST, for a set of 100 non-HD channels. msnTrGet.com

If you opt for any pay channel in that list of 100, you have to pay extra, according to the MRP of that individual channel. After a TRAI order, all broadcasters like Sony, Zee, Star, Discovery, Sun, Turner and, Viacom have declared which of their TV channels are free-to-air (FTA) and which ones are pay channels. (MobAsk.com)

The first most important clarification regarding the new Cable TV Regulation is that, Rs 130 plus GST is the minimum fees, which every cable or DTH consumer needs to pay. (Fun2Ind.com)

With 18% GST, this amount comes to Rs 154, which is called ‘Network Connect Fees’, and has to be paid to the respective cable or DTH operator. (soas.in)

Now, after paying Rs 154 as Network Connect Fees, the consumer will be eligible to access 100 channels. MobAsk.com

These 100 channels can be FTA or Free to Air and/or Pay Channels. In case the consumer wishes to watch more than 100 channels, then Rs 20 per 25 channels has to be paid. Once these 25 extra channels are allocated, then again, the user can choose FTA or Pay channels. soas.in

1. Besides a la carte rates, all major broadcasters have also declared various bouquets based on genre and language. The prices declared by individual broadcasters are the maximum retail price and your TV service provider can offer you a deal below the MRP. Even the price of the base packs can be lower than Rs 130. (Fun2Ind.com)

2. On its website, Airtel DTH TV shows a base pack of Rs 99 with a host of SD (standard definition) channels. Tata Sky’s lowest base pack, too, begins from Rs 99. However, both the operators have a list of select SD TV channels as part of the pack. As the new TRAI rules come into force, these base packs will also undergo a change as you will have the liberty to put any SD channel of your choice in the base pack. Any pay channel you include in the list gets added to your bill. msnTrGet.com

3. In the new regulations, any subscriber wanting to watch more than 100 channels can choose additional channels in each slab of 25 channels with at a maximum price of Rs 20 per slab. According to TRAI, consumers opting for more than 100 channels are rare and form only 10-15% of the market. About 80% subscribers, according to the viewing pattern from BARC, do not even flip more than 40 channels. (soas.in)

4. “If a consumer carefully chooses channels of choice for the complete requirement of a family, the amount payable may be even less than the present payments being made per month,” TRAI says on its website. (MobAsk.com)

5. As reported to TRAI, there are as many as 330 pay TV channels, including HD and SD, from 40 broadcasters. The list of private FTA channels goes up to 535. (Fun2Ind.com)

6. Among the 40 broadcasters, at least 17 have announced bouquets of several channels with discounted pricing. For example, a bouquet of 9 channels will cost Rs 63 if taken a la carte basis but if bought together, the price reduces by almost half to Rs 31. msnTrGet.com

7. FTA channels can’t be clubbed with pay channels in a bouquet. Further, HD channels can’t be clubbed with the SD version of the same channel, so that the consumer has complete clarity with respect to what is on offer. (Fun2Ind.com)

8. You also have the freedom to buy a set-top box from the market and not from the service provider. However, that set-top box will have to be technically compliant with the system of the operator. (soas.in)

9. TRAI has instructed that there shall be no blackout of services till January 31 but after that, you may be pushed to the basic pack, which has no pay channels. To avoid disruption in services, you have to migrate to the new plan by the end of the month. (MobAsk.com)

10. Every cable operator or DTH player has been asked to run a consumer information channel preferably on channel No. 999 wherein consumer-related information including the prices of channels shall be displayed.

Finally, the list of all FTA or Free-To-Air channels is out, as shared by the broadcasters with TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India).

This list of FTA channels, which are free to air, and can be accessed by anyone having any dish is crucial, as users only need to pay Rs 130 plus GST to access them.

Besides, users of DD Free Dish can access these FTA channels as well, after paying Rs 130 plus GST.

Under TRAI’s new rules, a user of cable or DTH is eligible to access 100 FTA or Free to Air channels, under the base pack, wherein Rs 130 (plus GST) is charged as network connect fee.

Now, in case that customer has chosen only 60 FTA or Free to Air channels, then he or she can choose 40 more and complete the list. However, in case the user chooses pay channels, then extra amount needs to be paid, as determined by the broadcaster and the cable operator.

MsnTarGet.com : Adding extra channels would incur Rs 25 for a slab of 20 channels, as mentioned by TRAI.

• Aakaash Aath
• DD Bangla
• Ruposhi Bangla
• Dhoom Music
• Music Faatafaati
• Sangeet Bangla
• Bangla Times
• Kolkata TV
• News Time

Malayalam Channels

• Amrita TV
• DD Malayalam
• Flowers
• Jai Hind
• Janam TV
• Jeevan TV
• Kairali
• Kappa TV
• Kaumudi TV
• Mazhavil Manorma
• Mazhavil Manorma HD
• Media One
• We
• Safari TV
• Asianet News
• Raj Musix Malayalam
• Mangalam
• Manorama News
• Matrubhumi
• People
• Reporter
• Raj News Malayalam
• Darshana
• Harvest TV
• Power Vision TV
• Shalom
• Nt 3

Marathi Channels

• DD Sahyadri
• Maiboli
• Fakt Marathi
• 9X Jhakkas
• Sangeet Marathi
• Jai Maharashtra
• Saam TV
• TV9 Marathi

Kannada Channels

• DD Chandana
• Kasturi
• Ayush TV
• Saral Jeevan
• Public Movies
• Public Music
• BTV News
• Dighvijay 24 * 7 News
• News 9
• Public TV
• Raj News Kannada
• Suvarna 24 * 7 News
• TV1 News
• TV5 Kannada
• TV9 Karnataka
• Sri Sankara
• Naaptol Kannada

Odiya Channels

• DD Odia
• Kalinga News
• Kanak News
• MBC TV
• OTV
• Prameya News 7

English Channels

• 9XO
• Al Jazeera
• India Ahead
• Republic TV
• Russia TV
• God TV
• Goodness TV
• Peace of Mind

Tamil Channels

• MK Six
• Captain TV
• DD Podhigai
• Imayam TV
• Kalaignar TV
• Malai Murasu
• MK TV
• Murasu
• Peppers TV
• Polimer TV
• Puthu Yugam
• Siripoli
• Super TV
• Thanthi TV
• Vasanth TV
• Vendhar TV
• 7S Music
• Isaiyaruvi
• MK Tunes
• Sahana TV
• Captain News
• Cauveri News
• Kailinger Saithi
• Lotus News
• Makkal TV
• News 7
• Polimer News
• Puthiya Thalainga
• Sathiyam
• Tamilan TV
• Velichan TV
• Angel TV
• Madha
• Nambikkai
• Sai TV
• SVBC 2
• Win TV
• Naaptol Tamil

Punjabi Channels

• DD Punjabi
• PTC Punjabi
• Pitaara TV
• MH1 Music
• PTC Chakde
• Chardikala Time
• PTC News
• MH1 Shraddha

Urdu Channels

• DD Urbu
• DD Kashir
• Gulistan News
• Channel Win

Gujarati Channels

• DD Girnar
• ABP Asmita
• GS TV
• Sandesh News
• TV9 Gujarati
• V TV

Asamese Channels

• DD NorthEast
• Jonack
• Nepal One
• Rang
• Rengoni
• Ramdhenu
• Assam Talks 24
• DY 356
• NewsLive
• Prag
• Protidin Times
• Bhojpuri
• Anjaan TV
• Dabang
• DD Bihar
• Bjojpuri Cinema
• Shaandaar
• Sangeet Bhojpuri

Telugu Channels

• DD Saptagiri
• DD Yadagiri
• Studio One+
• Vanitha TV
• Raj Musix Telugu
• 10 TV
• 99 TV
• ABN Andhra Jyoti
• AP 24 *7
• CVR English
• CVR News
• CVR Health
• Hm TV
• Mahaa News
• Mojo TV
• NTV News
• Raj News Telugu
• Sakshi TV
• Studio N
• T News
• TV1
• TV5 Telugu News
• TV9 Telugu News
• V6 News
• Aradhana
• Bhakti TV
• CVR Spiritual
• Divyavaani TV
• Hindu Dharman
• Rajumargan TV
• Subhavaartha TV
• SVBC
• Naaptol Telugu

Here is the list of all FTA channels, along with Pay channels, as shared by TRAI on their website.

Bharti Airtel has become the fourth DTH operator to unveil a list of supported channel packages that will be offered from its network from February 1. At 270 packs, Airtel leads in supporting broadcaster’s attempt to drive sales via the use of packs or bundles. Dish TV had earlier given a list of around 204 packs, while both D2h and Sun Direct had given lists containing just over 100 packs each.

D2h and Sun Direct have refused to support Star India’s channel packs, and have supported only around four of Sony’s 30 or so packs. The moves are seen as an attempt to drive down channel prices or at least get compensation from broadcasters.

 TRAI Rules: Airtel Digital Lists 270 Channel Packs

TRAI Rules: Airtel Digital Lists 270 Channel Packs

 Without support from cable and DTH operators, broadcasters like Star, Zee, TV18 and Discovery will not able to sell their packages, and will have to resort to selling their channels one by one. However, selling channels one by one will require these channels to be priced in the range of Rs 1-5 per month. But broadcasters have priced most of the popular channels at Rs 19 (22.42 including tax).

They priced individual channels at a high rate, hoping that customers will therefore not buy their channels, but go for their packs instead. Broadcasters love packs because when a customer buys a package, he gets to push more channels — including ones that the customer may not need. The more channels the broadcaster can push to the customer’s home, the more revenue the broadcaster can make via advertising.

However, the strategy is not playing out as they expected, with some DTH players refusing to co-operate with the plan. Both D2h and Sun Direct, for example, have refused to support Star packages, while Dish TV is somewhere in the middle, offering around 200 packs.

By announcing support for 270 packs, Bharti Airtel has emerged as the DTH provider most friendly to the channel owners. While Dish TV supports 58 packages from Star, Airtel Digital has listed 64.

Airtel offers 52 TV18 packs against Dish TV’s 50. On the other hand, Dish TV offers 27 packs from Sony against 25 by Airtel Digital. Reflecting its strong subscriber base in the South, Airtel Digital also supports 26 packs from Sun Direct against 13 by Dish TV and 20 from D2h.

Meanwhile, Airtel also said it would carry 533 channels, excluding its own services, on its platform. Out of these, 78 would be in HD, including all eleven HD movie channels in English available in the country.

Airtel’s channel composition makes it a strong contender for the urban market, though it is slightly behind Sun Direct when it comes to its HD offerings in South Indian languages.

The telecom and broadcast regulatory body, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has passed a new mandate, capping the installation and activation charged for DTH providers at Rs 500. This new mandate states that DTH providers will not be able to charge more than Rs 350 as installation charge and not more than Rs 150 as an activation charge of the service. Contrary to this, currently DTH providers charge Rs 1,200 for installation and activation of DTH service. This charge is non-refundable, and no extra rental is charged for equipment on top of service rentals. However, after this new mandate, the service providers might levy an upfront refundable deposit and a monthly charge for equipment.

TRAI's new rules aims to help new DTH customers in India. Will this help?

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India or TRAI is indeed concerned about consumers, and this latest directive clearly proves that.

TRAI has ordered all DTH or Direct to Home providers that they cannot charge more than Rs 500 for DTH activation and installation.

How will this benefit the consumers?

TRAI’s new rules for Cable TV and DTH will be effective from December 29th, and will roll out pan-India starting January 1st, 2019.

A new rule pertaining to DTH activation and installation has been added by TRAI, which states that DTH providers in India cannot charge more than Rs 500 for the same.

While Rs 350 can be charged maximum for installation, Rs 150 for activation is the cap.

TRAI’s new order said, “A Distributor of television channels or its linked local cable operator, as the case may be, may charge an amount not exceeding rupees three hundred and fifty as a one-time installation charge.. [and] an amount not exceeding rupees one hundred as a one-time activation charge for activating the broadcasting services related to television.”

Currently, Rs 1200`is the normal installation and activation charges for DTH services. This is not refundable and doesn’t include any additional features or plans.

This cost includes charges for installing new wires and activating the service.

Hence, the cost for the same has now been slashed by 58%, which will directly benefit those consumers who are installing new DTH service.

However, those who have existing DTH services won’t be impacted by this new rule.

Besides, TRAI has also ruled that DTH companies cannot charge more than Rs 250 for sending technicians to solve any issue related to DTH connections.

Normally, the new equipment for a new DTH price costs Rs 2200 for SD connection, and Rs 2500 for HD connection. As of now, DTH companies compensate by charging Rs 1200, which is half of the amount from the customers, and the rest they pay.

But now, with TRAI forcing them to charge Rs 500 max, the issue of new equipment for DTH customers can be an issue.

There are some theories going around on this development.

Maybe, DTH providers like Airtel, Tata Sky etc can charge a security deposit of Rs 700 to Rs 1000, which means that overall, the new customer will need to pay Rs 1200 to Rs 1500, which is the norm as of now.

However, once the DTH connection is terminated, the DTH will need to return the security deposit.

Regarding this new capex, Trai issued a clarification relating to the new tariff regime which comes into effect on December 29. The regulatory body said, “A Distributor of television channels or its linked local cable operator, as the case may be, may charge an amount not exceeding rupees three hundred and fifty as a one-time installation charge.. [and] an amount not exceeding rupees one hundred as a one-time activation charge for activating the broadcasting services related to television.”

Trai has also informed that if the consumers manage to find a set-top box which is usable with the DTH provider’s service, then they should be allowed to use the same. Expanding on this, Trai said, “It shall be permissible for every subscriber to buy a set top box of approved quality from the open market, if available, which is technically compatible with the system of the Distributor of television channels. The distributor or its linked local cable operator, as the case may be, shall not compel any subscriber to buy or take on rent the set-top box from him alone.”

As per the current standards, the cost incurred by the DTH provider for equipment in an SD connection is Rs 2,200 whereas for an HD connection the fee stands at Rs 2,500. Traditionally, the DTH subscribers pay around half of this amount while the DTH providers manage the other half. With the introduction of the new tariff scheme, the most feasible way for the DTH providers will be to charge a security deposit of Rs 700-1200 on top of Rs 500 installation and activation charge. Another way that DTH providers can opt for is the selling of equipment to the subscribers for Rs 1,500-2,500.

Trai has also said that in case a subscriber disconnects from the DTH provider and notifies the DTH provider before 15 days of disconnection, then the DTH provider will have to refund the security amount within seven days of disconnection.

Apart from this, the regulator has also put a max cap on the visiting charge of service technicians to subscriber premises for carrying out repair and maintenance services. This charge has been set at a max of Rs 250 per visit.

We will keep you updated, as more details come in.