Tata Sky, Airtel Digital TV, Dish TV Other DTH Operators Oppose TRAI’s KYC Norms For Set-Top Boxes 

Direct to Home (DTH) operators in the country have told the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India that there is no need to introduce additional know your customer (KYC) norms as it would increase the financial burden on them, the Television Post reports.

In reply to the TRAI’s consultation paper ‘KYC of DTH Set Top Boxes’, DTH operators Tata Sky, Dish TV and Bharti Telemedia said that they already follow KYC norms and there is no need for additional KYC norms in the DTH industry as there are no risks involved.

While submitting that DTH operators get the required information via the Customer Application Form (CAF), Tata Sky said that the process is already mandated within the regulator’s QoS Regulations, 2017. Tata Sky further refutes that the judgement from the Supreme Court of India doesn't allow Aadhar verification for telecom sector.

Tata Sky said that collecting Proof of Identity (PoI) and Proof of Address (PoA) as an alternative to Aadhar will inconvenience and cost of approximately 100 million subscribers present and another 100 million potential future subscribers.

The operator owned by majorly by Tata Sons, said that the addition of KYC process will not address the issue of illegal smuggling of DTH equipments raised by the Ministry of Broadcasting (MIB).

Tata Sky submitted that currently, the process of onboarding customers needs to be eased and seamless through Digitisation. In line of this goal, the DTH industry is working as per the TRAI’s orders to use electronic Customer Application Form (e-CAF).