Airtel becomes first DTH player to unbundle OTT from hardware

Bharti Airtel has become the first major DTH or cable company to free up its content app, Airtel XStream, from its hardware. All other major cable and DTH companies in India offer their app only on their own device — typically a stick or a set-top-box — and do not allow the software to be […]

Tata Sky becomes first DTH to slash prices under TRAI tariff order

Tata Sky, the DTH service from the Tata Group, has become the first DTH platform to put into effect the amended TRAI tariff order, with only hours to go before the March 1 deadline. Other DTH operators are likely to follow suit in the next few hours. NCF REDUCED The first step towards implementing the […]

TRAI Tariff Order to come into effect on Sunday, No stay from Bombay High Court

With the Bombay High Court giving no specific direction or stay on the implementation of the amended TRAI tariff order, the country is all set to see the introduction of the second version of the tariff order on Sunday. Over the past three days, the Bombay High Court had been holding a marathon hearing on […]

Cheaper TV channels likely as court gives no stay on TRAI tariff order

The Bombay High Court did not grant any interim stay on the TRAI’s amendments to last year’s tariff order at the second day of hearing on the matter, making it even more likely that broadcasters will be forced to cut their channel prices soon. Instead of issuing a stay, the High Court has posted the […]

COMING SOON: Tata Sky Binge+ Android Box; Training manual leaked

Tata Sky’s much awaited Android set-top-box, Tata Sky Binge+, is all set to become available in the coming 2-3 weeks as a dealer has leaked the technician’s reference guide for installing the service. The manual, leaked on social media, confirms what has already been reported — it will be built on top of Android TV […]

DTH operators to be restricted from offering retro-serials, catch-up channels

DTH operators, who offer various programs and services on their in-house channels, may soon be prevented from carrying popular serials, films and other licensed content, going by TRAI’s latest recommendations. TRAI also recommended that the ministry of information and broadcasting should stop the broadcasting of delayed feeds of existing channels, branded as +1 channels, on […]

25 Sun Group channels made free for Sun Direct users

Sun Direct, the Chennai-based direct-to-home satellite TV service, has started giving free access to nearly all Sun Group channels to anyone who activates the base packs designed by the DTH company. The base packs designed by Sun Direct — called DPO packs — start at Rs 200 per month, including tax, for the Tamil market, […]

Tata Sky slashes monthly charge under TRAI tariff scheme

Tata Sky, a premium satellite TV provider in India, has unveiled a scheme by which heavy customers can bring down their monthly network fee by up to Rs 300. However, to get the lower network charge — also known as network capacity fee or NCF — a subscriber must buy some television channels picked by […]

Arasu Cable cuts NCF to ₹35/month vs ₹130 by Tata Sky, Airtel Digital etc

Arasu Cable, the government-owned cable feed provider in Tamil Nadu, has become the first big player to drastically reduce the monthly network charge under TRAI’s new tariff order, throwing a challenge to the likes of Tata Sky, Dish TV, Hathway and Sun Direct. Arasu Cable’s new base plan of Rs 130 contains six broadcaster packs […]

TRAI cracks down on “free channel packs” under new tariff scheme

One of the key aspects of the new tariff order of the TRAI that came into effect from February 1 was the uniformity of pricing among channels. The distributor — a cable or DTH operator — had to charge the same network fee for any channel, irrespective of content or ownership. So, whether it was […]

TRAI SCHEME: Tata Sky, Airtel, D2h launch new Multi TV plans

Three of the five paid DTH platforms in India — Tata Sky, Airtel Digital and D2h — have announced multi TV, or multiple connection, plans under the new TV channel tariff regime implemented by TRAI this month. The new schemes, which give discounts on a subscriber’s second, third and fourth connections at their home, were […]

Tata Sky Case: Delhi High Court pulls up TRAI for modifying roll-out plan midway

Delhi High Court, hearing a challenge by DTH and cable companies against TRAI’s new tariff scheme, today expressed its displeasure over regulator modifying tariff roll-out process of the new tariff system without even informing the court. Chief Justice Rajendra Menon asked the regulator to file an affidavit within a week explaining the latest changes to […]

TRAI gives OK to multi TV schemes, but price must be uniform

Media regulator TRAI clarified that nothing in the new tariff regime prevents cable and DTH operators from offering discounts on the network charges payable by customers. Accordingly, it said, some of the cable and DTH operators have restarted their discounted multi TV offers. The topic of ‘multi-connections’ — or multiple connections within the same household […]

TV BLACKOUT: TRAI issues show-cause notice to DTH operator

Media regulator TRAI said it has issued a show cause notice to a ‘large’ platform operator for showing black screens to its customers during the migration to the new TV channel tariff scheme. It did not give the name of the platform operator, merely noting that it was a large one. TRAI, keen to avoid […]

TRAI plan not activated? Try resubmitting the channel list

The rollout of the new TV channel pricing mechanism by the media regulator has led to many users facing a black out or being saddled with the wrong set of channels and packs by their cable and DTH operator. Even as the roll-out hits its fourth day, many continue to wait for their distributor to […]

TRAI PACKS: Channel selection page for Airtel Digital, Dish TV, D2h and Tata Sky

Many users of Airtel Digital, as well as rivals like Dish TV and D2h are facing issues with the activation of their new TRAI-compliant plans, with customer care officials not able to help in many cases. Unlike Dish TV and D2h, Airtel Digital users are facing more difficulties as the DTH provider does not have […]

TRAI PACK ACTIVATION: Dish TV, Tata Sky, D2h and Airtel Digital flooded with complaints on social media

Customers of DTH networks have been flooding social media, particularly Twitter, with messages of frustration as the implementation of the new TRAI rules on channel pricing hits its third day today. Among the DTH providers transitioning customers are Airtel Digital, Tata Sky, Dish TV, Videocon D2h and Sun Direct. Many customers are complaining of being […]

TDSAT refuses to intervene in TRAI’s channel pricing rules

Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal, the appellate body for resolving industry disputes in the telecom and broadcasting sector, today refused to expeditiously direct the TRAI to implement the 85:100 rule to bring down the prices of individual television channels. TDSAT refused an early hearing in a case filed by cable operator Fastway Transmissions, which […]

Tata Sky vs TRAI: Delhi High Court issues no stay

The country seems to be all set for the implementation of a new pricing regime for cable and DTH services from Friday, with Delhi High Court posting the next date in the Tata Sky vs TRAI case without any stay order on the implementation of the 2017 tariff order. Tata Sky, Bharti Airtel and Discovery […]