Update on 3rd February 2019– If you will not opt for the new TRAI plans then your operator may activate any plan which is the closest to your existing pack.
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued new regulations which are applicable to all DTH/Cable/IPTV operators effective from 29th December 2018. Till now operators (Tata Sky. Dish TV etc) used to decide to the price of individual channel, base package, and regional packs, but effective 29th December broadcasters (Star India, Sony etc) will decide the price of their packs. TRAI has also published the MRP of all channels in case customer want to choose individual channel instead of a bundled pack. TRAI pricing for an individual channel is much cheaper than operators used to offer as a-la-carte packs.
Few highlights of new TRAI rules are listed below.
1. Customer needs to pay Rs.130 (+GST=Rs.153)/month as Network Capacity Fee to watch 100 (Free or Paid) channels in which all Doordarshan channels(Total -25) are compulsory to subscribe. You can choose the remaining channels of your choice and if you want to opt for paid channels (Star Plus, Zee TV etc) extra charges as per as TRAI pricing will be applicable.
2. If your channel count exceeds 100, you need to pay extra Rs.20 (+GST=Rs.24) as Network Capacity Fee for every 25 channels.
3. 1 HD channels will be counted as 2 channels and 1 SD channel will be counted as 1 channel.
4. DD Free Dish users will not be affected by this rule they can continue to enjoy available channels for free.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I choose the channels which I want to watch?
You can choose your channels by calling customer care of your operator or visiting the website or using the app. Option as per as new rules will be available soon.
What will happen to my existing subscribed pack?
If you have already recharged for any long-term pack then the operator can refund your money in form of balance or they can adjust it with new packs, confirmation for same will be shared by your operator via SMS.
Is it going to end of the base packs, regional packs?
Yes, all existing packs which used to be decided by operators are going to end but packages based plans which are now decided by broadcaster and combo packs by operators will be still available.
If you have more doubts, please ask in the comment section.