Will Cable Users Face Blackout After March 31st? 50% Users Say They Are Paying More Under New Rules
During the previous implementation of the rules, several users faced blackout
March 31st is the last date under the old Cable TV rules, and effective April 1st, new DTH, and Cable plans will be implemented, pan-India.
Now, the big question: Will users, who are using the old plans, face any blackout after April 1st?
Meanwhile, as per a survey, it was found that more than 50% of the cable users feel that they are paying more, under the new cable TV rules.
New Cable TV Rules: Blackout After March 31, 2019?
On February 12th, TRAI had stated that the new deadline to implement the new Cable TV rules would be March 31st.
At the same time, TRAI had also stated that in case any cable TV user is not able to choose any new pack/plan, then they can be shifted to a ‘Best Fit Plan’, as devised by their respective Cable or DTH operator.
In case the customer doesn’t want that best fit plan, they can choose their own pack based on the new cable TV rules, which needs to be implemented within 72 hours.
However, the issue of blackout of channels is still unresolved.
As per Financial Express, in case a customer has not chosen a new plan, and if they are shifted to the Best Fit Plan, then blackout of some channels can happen.
Their news article stated, “Nevertheless, there are chances that some channels may get blacked out if migration is not done within the stipulated time.”
And this seems natural as well: Best Fit Plan may or may not have all the channels which that user watches, hence, blackout is a possibility.
TRAI hasn’t responded to this issue as of now.
We have already reported how several users faced blackout after February 1st, when the new cable TV rules were implemented. Due to these issues only, the deadline was extended to March 31st.
Here are the reports of blackout which consumers faced:
Airtel Slapped With Showcase Notice Over DTH Blackout
Mumbai, Hyderabad Cable TV Users Face Blackout
Bengaluru Cable TV Users Face Blackout
TataSky Users Can Face A Blackout Soon; DTH Firms Forcefully Activating Junk Packs
54% Cable TV Users Feel They Are Paying More
A market research firm called YouGov conducted a survey among all cable TV users, and found that 54% of them feel that they are paying more, under the new Cable TV rules.
At the same time, 32% feel that the new rules will help them save costs, as now, they can choose the channels which they wish to watch, whereas 14% felt that there will be no change.
Interestingly, out of the surveyed cable users, 92% told that they are aware of the new rules, and 76% informed that they have already switched to a new pack, applicable under the new rules.
Another interesting fact: 62% of cable TV users in North India are satisfied with the ‘implementation’ of the new cable rules, whereas 32% in South India said that they were not convinced about the new rules.
We will keep you updated as we receive more updates.
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