Even though only 40% customers have registered their channel choices under the new tariff guidelines that kick in from February 1, the Telecom Regulatory Authority Chairman R.S. Sharma on Thursday expressed confidence that service providers will be able get options from all their subscribers within a week.
“We are monitoring the customer choice collection progress on a day-to-day basis. We are very confident… While initially the take off was slow, it has now picked up and trends indicate that we will reach the target by January 31,” Mr Sharma told The Hindu.
No extension
He added that the regulator is unlikely to extend the February 1, 2019, deadline for implementation, as there have been no requests from stakeholders for an extension.
“We have been regularly meeting the stakeholders and everybody is on the same page. In fact some of the organisations — News Broadcasters Association (NBA), Indian broadcasting Foundation (IBF) and All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF) — have given us in writing that we should not extend the implementation deadline,” Mr Sharma said.
Mr Sharma stressed that the new regulation — which makes it mandatory for the service provider to offer every channel on a la carte basis, for the first time, will ensure, that customers pay only for the channels they watch and also know the price of the channel.
“This is the only transaction, where the customer or the purchaser is not given the products he/she wants to purchase. The customer is simply given a bundle of products and he/she doesn’t even know the price of these products. Is there any industry or any commercial transaction where this happens?” Mr Sharma said.
The TRAI Chairman said the move will not only bring down the number of litigations in the sector but also encourage people to invest in good quality content.
“Today 90% of the cases in TDSAT are of the broadcasting sector… [despite the fact] the revenue from the sector is quite small compared to the telecom sector. This framework will reduce litigations which happen because there is ambiguity in relationships,” he said.
Notice to Tata Sky
On Thursday TRAI issued a show cause notice to DTH operator Tata Sky for allegedly failing to provide its customers options to choose channels in compliance with the new tariff norms.
In a press release, the regulator said it has received “hundreds of complaints” stating that one of the DTH service provider is not providing options to its subscribers to exercise their choices and providing misleading information in regard to implementation of new framework.
Show cause notice sent
While the Authority did not name the DTH operator, a source said that a show cause notice was sent to Tata Sky and the operator has assured in writing that they will be complying with the new regulatory framework and will make options available for obtaining the consumers choice.
In an emailed response, Harit Nagpal, Managing Director and CEO, Tata Sky said, “Tata Sky has always been compliant to regulatory requirements. We have gone live with our modes of communication across the Tata Sky website, Tata Sky Mobile App and also equipped the dealers that subscribers can reach out to.”