TRAI Issues Notices To Dish TV, Airtel Digital For Favouring Some Broadcasters By Charging Lower Network Fee

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) sent notices to two Direct to Home (DTH) providers - Airtel Digital and Dish TV - this week asking them to ensure that their plans are in full compliance with the new tariff order that prohibits different network charge for different channels, reports Ultra News.

The new tariff order of TRAI that came into the effect from 1 February has uniformity of pricing among channels as one of its key aspects. As per the order, the distributor - a cable or DTH operator - had to charge the same network fee for any channel, irrespective of content or ownership.

According to the report, whether it was a pay channel or a free channel, the DTH or cable operator was supposed to charge the same network fee of Rs 1.30 per month for providing it to the customer.

However, many operator soon started flouting this rule to make more money by helping broadcasters push their channels into the homes of all customers, including those who did not opt for the channels.

The regulatory body, however, did not take this attempt to flout the new tariff rules lightly and has sent notices to Dish TV and Airtel Digital to resolve the matter quickly. The notices are likely to be issued to other DTH providers too for engaging in flouting the rules.