In a major relief for Cable/DTH users who had opted for long term packs, TRAI has announced that they need not choose new plans and packs under the new Cable TV Regime.
How will this help you?
Meanwhile, as per reports coming in, thousands of Cable TV/DTH users in Trichy faced blackout, as the MSO there blacked out all pay channels.
What exactly happened?
TRAI To Long-Term Pack Users: Relax!
Effective February 1st, 2019, TRAI has imposed the new Cable TV Rules, across India.
Under the new rules, customers can choose their channels which they want to watch, and then pay only for those channels.
There were doubts and questions about those customers, who had chosen long term plans of 1 year and 6-months and above. Some reports had earlier hinted that these long term plans will expire, and then the money will be refunded back in their account.
Using that money, they can again choose new packs and plans.
This sounded a fair decision.
But making it even fairer, is the last announcement from TRAI, it has been said that long-term pack users can continue with their existing long-term packs, if they wish so.
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) Chairman R S Sharma has directed all DTH and Cable operators to let their customers continue using their long term packs, and their new plans under the new Cable TV regime can be activated once their long-term plans expire.
At the same time, TRAI has also made it clear that in case any customer wish to terminate their long-term cable pack in between, and choose the new plans under the new Cable TV regime, that should also be allowed.
Prorated charges can be deducted, based on the usage, and the remaining amount can be refunded back.
This will give more flexibility and options to the long-term pack users of Cable and DTH companies.
Blackout At Trichy?
Arasu Cable TV, which is Tamil Nadu Govt.’s own Cable TV network had reportedly stopped showing pay channels to their customers in Trichy, as on February 1st.
New Cable TV Regimes came into force as on February 1st.
Customers in Trichy who had already paid between Rs 200 to Rs 400 for availing HD channels under the old Cable TV rules were in for a rude shock on February 1st, when Asasu Cable blocked all pay channels on their TV.
TRAI had warned against such blackout of channels.
It seems that those customers who not selected any new Cable TV plans under the new Cable TV plans faced such blackout.
There are around 1.4 lakh Cable TV Users in Trichy.