Ever since the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) introduced the new regulatory tariff regime, there has been a lot of back and forth going on regarding certain areas which it targets. The new regulatory framework by Trai did not bring any solid rule regarding long-term channel packs being provided by DTH operators, and as a result, some of the subscribers were taken off their long-term packs. Now, in a new move, Airtel Digital TV has started migrating its subscribers who were on long-term packs to monthly packs. As you would expect, a lot of Airtel Digital TV subscribers are not happy with this move.
Trai Directive on Long-Term Packs Thrashed in Delhi HC
To recall, soon after it faced a backlash from the public, Trai had issued a directive which stopped the DTH operators from migrating the people to monthly channel packs from the long-term packs. It was said that the subscribers were to enjoy the rest of their validity on their long-term packs on the DTH platform. However, this directive was met by a counterstrike from Tata Sky which moved to Delhi High Court. As a result, the Delhi High Court imposed a stay on the long-term plans. Soon, Delhi High Court’s Division Bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V Kameshwar Rao passed an order barring the DTH operators from migrating the subscribers to other plans.
Airtel Digital TV Subscribers Moved to Monthly Channel Packs
Now as August 1 arrived, a lot of subscribers of Airtel’s annual subscription plan found that they have been migrated to the regular monthly packs which the other subscribers enjoy. Also, these subscribers received SMS from the company that they have been pulled out of the Annual Rental Plan, which was previously being provided by Airtel Digital TV. The SMS also notes that the subscribers can choose their channel packs, else they will be migrated to their closest resembling monthly channel packs, i.e. best-fit plans. The Airtel Digital TV subscribers have also been promised that the remaining balance for the unused period of their annual plan will be returned to their respective accounts. In our case, we were on a Airtel Digital TV Telugu yearly pack and it has now been migrated to a monthly pack priced at Rs 181 (excluding NCF).
Long-Term Plans Met With Sad Demise
It is crucial to note that the new verdict from Delhi High Court rules the previous order from Trai which had allowed the subscribers of long-term plans to continue taking benefits for their subscription. But, courtesy of this new order from Delhi High Court, the subscribers of long-term plans are now being migrated to monthly channel packs. Tata Sky had also remarked that with the direction of letting subscribers enjoy the long-term plans, the regulator was reverting back to its own ways and since by the time a lot of subscribers had been refunded their respective amounts, going back to the long-term plans would ensue chaos.
