Following the footsteps of Tata Sky and Airtel Digital TV, D2h became the third DTH operator to implement Trai's National Tariff Order 2.0 on its platform. Sun Direct also updated its NCF policy, but it is not in-line with new Trai rules so we might expect a change in the coming days. With this development, Dish TV remains the only DTH operator not to implement Trai's tariff regime 2020. Thankfully, D2h did not revise its Multi TV policy and it will still charge Rs 50 as NCF from every secondary connection user. As part of the new rules, for Multi TV users, NCF will be charged at 40% of the primary connection. While operators are implementing new NCF and Multi TV policies, they are keeping the channel packs unchanged which is not in-line with Trai's new rules published on January 1, 2020.
D2h Brings 4 NCF Slabs for Primary Connection Users
D2h, which is now fully owned by Dish TV India, has finally implemented NTO 2.0. The DTH operator has declared new NCF on its platform and it is pretty much similar to that of Airtel Digital TV and Tata Sky. Unlike other operators, D2h is giving four NCF slabs to the primary connection holders. The first one is- up to 200 channels will be provided in the base slab of Rs 130 (excluding taxes), 201-210 channels at Rs 140, 211-220 channels at Rs 150 and more than 221 channels at Rs 160 NCF.
To recall, Tata Sky and Airtel Digital TV are providing just two NCF slabs- NCF of Rs 130 for the first 200 channels and Rs 160 for channels more than 200. Dish TV might also offer four NCF slabs similar to D2h.
D2h did not change its Multi TV policy and it will remain the same. The operator will continue charging flat NCF of Rs 50 for every additional connection. Other operators will charge 40% NCF as their primary connection, so D2h users will have an advantage in the Multi TV segment even after the NTO 2.0.
DTH Operators Fail to Implement Trai NTO 2.0 Fully
It is pretty good to see DTH operators implementing new rules like reduced NCF and Multi TV prices right before the deadline. Operators will not make changes to the NCF of every customer as a majority of the Tata Sky subscribers have already started noticing their Multi TV connection price reduction. However, DTH service providers did not implement NTO 2.0 fully.
In the amendments to NTO 1.0, Trai clearly stated that an a-la-carte channel priced over Rs 12 should not be part of any bouquet. But operators are yet to revise their bouquet. Besides the broadcaster offerings, service providers have their own channel packs with heavy discounts. And they are yet to modify these packs which is clearly not in-line with Trai's order.
Maybe, operators are waiting for broadcasters to reduce the prices of a-la-carte channels and then implement the new packs. Broadcasters are yet to publish their revised prices as of this writing; The deadline for them to revise the channel prices was January 15, 2020, which is way past now.
