It has been more than a month since TRAI’s new rules for DTH, Cable TV kicked in. While the new regime was backed by TRAI chairman RS Sharma who called it an empowering move for consumers, it did not strike a right chord with many users.

“The customer is king. And the king has a good life, but only when he is allowed to rule,” RS Sharma had written in The Indian Express. But too many choices and complicated rules have left several users with a bad aftertaste.

Some would have thought that the earlier issues with the implementation of the rulings might have settled by now but that has not been the case. Even after more than a month since the implementation, the same issues persist.

Big DTH brands including Airtel India, Videocon etc have been receiving complaints as well. With some subscribers not able to choose a-la-carte channels and some facing issues with the activation of the plan altogether, the new pricing system has also added to the chaos.

So, where are happy customers?

As it happens, Twitter is piling with consumer grievances. Take a look-

 

What is TRAI’s new ruling?

On 1 February 2019, TRAI rolled out its ambitious plan that touted to give power to TV viewers as consumers could now choose and pay only for the channels they wish to watch. Per TRAI rulings, the base pack was priced at Rs 130 (plus 18% GST) for 100 channels. However, it is not as simple as it sounds.

TRAI had also made 25 DD channels mandatory for the subscription. For channels exceeding the set limit of 100, an additional slab of Rs 20 is also imposed per 25 channels. Each HD channel will be counted as 2 SD channels for Network Capacity Fees. 

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