The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is informing all the subscribers about the upcoming changes in television tariffs through text messages. The new changes apply to all DTH and local cable channels.
The new rules will enable customers to pay for only the channels they watch rather than relying on pack-wise channels decided by DTH companies or the local cable operators.
TRAI’s new rules for broadcasting and cable television will come into effect from 1st February 2019. By January 31st, 2019, all the DTH companies and local cable providers need to implement the new rules. The new rule implies that the customers can choose 100 or more channels and pay exactly what the service provider is charging for these channels, void of any extra fee.
TRAI has included a link in its message that redirects customers to channel tariffs and how it will impact their cable TV bill.
The premise of these new regulations is to reduce cable television bills and let customers pay for channels they choose to watch rather than getting a pack with channels they do not watch.
Customers can choose 100 base channels(more channels can be added although it will increase the prices) from a range of free-to-air channels(which are free). Customers can also pick their favorite paid channels or the broadcaster bouquet.
The base pack will include 100 channels and will be available for a fee of ₹130/month. The base pack will only include Standard Definition channels. Customers can choose any 100 channels among a variety of free-to-air channels.
TRAI’s website provides an insight into how these packs work, though these are only suggestive packs.
For instance, for the Hindi speaking market, TRAI suggests a pack which will cost ₹184/month including all taxes. The pack includes 25 paid channels, 50 free-to-air channels, and 25 Doordarshan channels(free-to-air). The base fee is ₹130, adding to that extra ₹26 for paid channels, which is calculated by adding the MRP of all channels. Lastly, 18% GST which amounts up to ₹28 is added is added to the bill making the fee ₹184.
The customer has the full freedom to choose any channel they want in their pack and the prices will be added accordingly.
Customers can choose more than 100 channels as well. For example, if a customer chooses all 100 free-to-air channels the fee comes down to ₹130/month, the customers can then choose more channels to add to this list, which will be done in a pack of 25 channels with a maximum network capacity fee of ₹20 per pack.
Then the bill would include the base fee of ₹130+₹20 for the pack of 25 extra channels and the total MRP of those 25 channels along with 18% GST. Ergo, if these extra channels cost ₹50 in total, the total fee would be 130+20+50+18%GST, which adds up to ₹236/month.
Customers don’t have to choose the extra channels in a pack of 25. They can add less than 25 channels also, but then they will be charged a network capacity of ₹1/channel+taxes for 15 or fewer channels.
TRAI’s website has a list of prices for all the channels. Customers can go to the TRAI website to check the prices of paid channels. All the broadcasters have declared the prices of each and every channel. TRAI says that the maximum price of a channel is now limited to ₹19.
Broadcasters are putting together a few channels from their network for a certain price called Bouquet. These Channel bouquets are also available on TRAI’s website and customers can choose these channels in their list of paid channels.
For HD channels, each channel will count as two SD channels in the total 100.
TRAI has asked users to choose each channel individually and not go for channel bouquets if they do not like the option. The costs will be added in accordance with the choices made by the customers.
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