Remember how some time back every set up connection holders, through advertisement on television, radios and every digital platform imaginable advertised that according to the country’s telecom regulator, The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) announced new regulations for the television and broadcasting sector, as per which consumers were at their choice to select only those channels which they wished to pay for.
Unfortunately, after TRAI’s notified framework came into effect since December 29, 2018, there have been innumerable complaints registered from customers that there has come difficulties in different domains to select from this available choice of channels.
Notwithstanding to this, TRAI hasn’t rested yet and has been continuously working and devising ways to ease the whole process of channel selection and approvals for customers. The road is bumpy as of now. TRAI is trying its best to make it as smooth as possible.
TRAI To Let Users Make Channel Choices via Text Message
TRAI has been rolling out new consultation papers for discussion or either sending out new directions. It wants consumers to get the best possible service in the DTH and broadcasting industry.
In its latest attempt, TRAI has sent out a direction to the Distribution Platform Operators (DPOs), asking them to enable the service of allowing the DTH users to choose and change their own channel plans via SMS.
It has also asked these DPOs to list out all the channels and their MRPs on the channel number 199 along with bouquets so that subscribers can access them with ease and decide which channels they want to add or remove and how much they would have to pay for it.
TRAI Asks DPOs to Comply Within 15 Days
After releasing such a direction, the TRAI has reached out to DPOs and have asked them to participate in their compliance within 15 days of the issue of this letter. Along with this, the telecom regulator also wants the DPOs to start this facility of SMS to subscribers within 15 days of the issue of this new direction.
The addition or drop of this facility should be executed no later than 72 hours after the DPO receives the request. Also, the subscriber should be charged only for the period for which it has availed the services.
It is worth noting that the telecom regulator has issued the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services Standards of Quality of Service and Subscriber Protection (Addressable Systems) Regulations, 2017 (QoS Regulations, 2017). The DPOs have been asked to send a compliance report to the telecom regulator by the end of this month, specifically October 31, 2019.
TRAI Wants to Bring Uniformity Among all the DTH Service Providers
Although it is aware that a few DPOs are providing the service of adding and dropping channels through SMS, TRAI also knows that not all of these DPOs are indulging into this activity.
In order to bring about uniformity and better services to the subscribers, it is essential for all DPOs to work along this direction. There is also a great variance in the information being displayed on the channel number 999. Thus, TRAI has asked the DPOs to follow the format put out by the authority so that no information is left out on channel number 999.
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