Make your wish-list now! TRAI issues notice, watch 100 paid channels at Rs 153 for a month

NewsBharati    14-Jan-2019
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Mumbai, January 14: Coming as a bonanza for TV viewers, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has come up with new scheme focussing on giving the viewers bouts of contentment whether cable or direct to home (DTH). TRAI has issued an order whereby consumers can view 100 pay or free channels by paying just Rs 153.40 per month (including GST).

 

According to a Trai press release, consumers should choose these 100 channels before January 31 as the new system will start from February 1. The base pack does not include high definition (HD) channels. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has come out and clarified that consumers have the option to choose channels on a-la-carte basis for the base pack of 100 SD channels.

Further to the regulator, the consumers can either choose free-to-air channels, pay channels, bouquet of pay channels or any combination thereof for the base pack that will cost just Rs. 130 (Rs. 153.40 after taxes). TRAI came out with the latest order after the reports of confusion over which channels can be included in the base pack or whether the consumers can only choose the packs being offered by the DTH and cable operators.

 

Apart from Tata Sky, pretty much all cable and DTH operators, including the likes of DishTV, Airtel Digital TV, and Hathaway, have declared the channel prices and bouquet details and established mechanisms to make it easier for the consumers to migrate to the new system. The best place to check the new system is either the consumer information channels on channel no 999 or the company websites.

TRAI had originally announced the new regulatory framework in March 2017 and it went into effect on December 29, 2018. However, the agency later extended the date of migration to the new framework to January 31.

TRAI noted that the consumers should choose their desired channels or packs as per the new rules before the January 31 deadline to avoid the last-minute rush. After the deadline, any consumers who have not migrated to the new packages are likely to face interruption in the services.