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Department of Telecom

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Consultation paper on Tariff related issues for Broadcasting and Cable services

Start Date :

Aug 21, 2019

Last Date :

Aug 31, 2019

00:00 AM IST (GMT +5.30 Hrs)

Submission Closed

TRAI, in March 2017, notified the ‘New Regulatory Framework’ for Broadcasting and Cable services. The new framework came into effect from 29th December 2018. TRAI’s new ...

TRAI, in March 2017, notified the ‘New Regulatory Framework’ for Broadcasting and Cable services. The new framework came into effect from 29th December 2018. TRAI’s new regulations/orders for the television and broadcasting sector gave freedom to consumers to select television channels they want to watch. Analysis reveals that while new regulatory framework has brought the transparency in TV channel pricing, harmonised business processes in the sector, reduced disputes among stakeholders. However, adequate choice to select TV channels has not been given to the consumers.

In all fairness, a lot much was expected from the broadcasters and the DPOs to use flexibility given under new regulatory framework to address the concerns and aspirations of the consumers. However, given flexibility was misused to throttle market discovery of TV channel prices by giving huge discounts on the bouquets. It has been observed from the tariff declared by the broadcasters under new regulatory framework that broadcasters are offering bouquets at a discount of upto 70% of the sum of a-la-carte rates of pay channels constituting those bouquets. It indicates that in absence of any restriction on the discount on the offering of bouquets, broadcasters are making prices of a-la-carte channels illusory thereby impacting the a-la-carte choice of channels by consumers.

Further, no restriction on number of channels has created another problem wherein broadcasters and DPOs are offering too many bouquets. TRAI has observed that too many bouquets are formed by the broadcasters/Distributors and many of them contain very similar set of channels, with very few changes. This too many bouquets are not only creating confusion among consumers but also becoming a hurdle in choosing the channels by consumers. With too many bouquets of broadcasters and DPOs, the consumers get confused and as a result forced to adopt some suggested packs of TV channels which kills the freedom given to consumers to choose desired TV channels.

TRAI had extensive interactions with the stakeholders including consumers and consumer organizations, at various forums, wherein stakeholders have also raised certain issues such as variable NCF for different regions, NCF for Multi TV home, discount on long term plan, DD channels as part of one hundred channels etc.

In order to deliberate upon above issues that have come post implementation of the new regime, this consultation paper has been floated seeking stakeholders’ views. This paper primarily discusses issues related to discount given in the formation of the bouquet, ceiling price of channels for inclusion in bouquet, need for formation of bouquet by Broadcasters and DPOs, Variable NCF and discount on long term plan. These issues are significant in terms of consumer welfare and considered it appropriate to obtain the views of the stakeholders.

Written comments on the Consultation Paper are invited from the stakeholders. Counter comments, if any, may be submitted by 30th September 2019.

Click here to read Consultation paper on Tariff related issues for Broadcasting and Cable services

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Featured

Showing 1024 Submission(s)

Susanta Kumar Pattnaik 5 years 9 months ago

Cable is a mechanism to unite people and participation of people in the event.Cable and broadcasting has tariff plan may be Cable- tv channels should be bit high purchase and auxiliary like news,science Channels should be minimum.Mobile, Laptop etc should be fixed.TV channels as auxiliary should be minimum and other like entertainment, sports etc should be high.News , discovery science Channels should be minimum.Tarif should be categorize 1. Domestic users 2. Commercial users 3.Personal users 4

Abhilash Tulluri 5 years 9 months ago

there should not be sub packages by the broadcasters, it's very confusing and defeating the actual purpose. we should only the selecting the required channels without any sub packages.

Praveen Kumar Kulkarni 5 years 9 months ago

What is the basis of ₹153 for 100 channels? Why this can not be made as zero?
why HD channels are 3 times of normal channels, provide justifications and make it public.
send a separate satellite from ISRO, to provide all satellite costs FREE of service to people as one satellite may cost ₹2000Cr and it can easily be recovered with 100CR televisions connections by charging a one time fee ₹20, hence, avoid the monthly charge of ₹153 for 100 connections per TV set top box...Please avoid the Loot.

Raghavendra Gaonkar 5 years 9 months ago

The new rules increased the dth costs for less number of channels. It was good move but badly impacted user due to following reasons:
1. NCF is very high
2. There is no cap on package discounts. Due to this ala carte channels are priced higher than bundles

Susanta Kumar Pattnaik 5 years 9 months ago

Tariff plan related should be categorize 1. Domestic users 2. Commercial users 3 Personal users 4. Laptop etc fixed tariff 5.TV tariff plan should be facilitated well.1- Domestic users tariff plan should be minimum 2.Commercial users tariff plan should be high 3. Personal users tariff plan should be fixed 4. Laptop users tariff plan should be fixed 5. TV channels are depend on the choice of channels and pay own.Some auxiliary channels like news, discovery, science related channels should minimu

RAMESH DAS MANIKPURI 5 years 9 months ago

telicom company ne jo terrife charge ghataue hai matalab terif date ko kam kiye hai jaise ki Kisis bhi sim ki valideti jo life time hoti thi use band kar diya hao jise punah badhana chahiye

Bhawana sharma 5 years 9 months ago

Good decision

Deepak Mishra 5 years 9 months ago

Changes made by TRAI related to tariff has now resulted in expensive packs. Those channels which were amounted to 270 earlier are now Rs 320.

Bad Step I must say.

Dharampal Pasi 5 years 9 months ago

Plz note the cable operator are changing the channel package every 3 months and also charging high price for the package. And they have made package with such channels which we dont want to watch and also they have removed the kids channels from the tv package and put them in high package and for which we are forced to pay high price. And there should be online payment and online channels selection app for convenient for all the customers.

Ketan Mehta 5 years 9 months ago

Telecom companies are coming up with plans for 28days, 84days etc. Then 3 to 5 days in advance start sending messages for expiry of the plan. Mostly each time there is a loss of 1-2days due to such odd periods of 28days and 84days etc.
It should be made 30day / 90days eg. if recharged on 23rd of the month, it should expire on 22nd midnight of the next month for 30days and on 22nd midnight of 3rd month for 90days. Similarly for yearly plans it should be for 365days.