Dish TV is the last Direct-to-the-Home (DTH) operator in India to implement the National Tariff Order 2.0 by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai). Already, other operators like Tata Sky, Airtel Digital TV, D2h and Sun Direct have implemented NTO 2.0. While D2h which is also part of Dish TV India is providing four NCF slabs, the latter has just two slabs for primary connection users and it is pretty much in-line with other operators. Dish TV will offer 200 channels in the base NCF slab of Rs 130 and up to Rs 160 will be charged for channels greater than 200. Thankfully, the DTH operator did not revise the Multi TV prices and will continue charging just Rs 50 as NCF from second, third and fourth connection users. The new changes are already active on Dish TV platform and the customers will be slowly migrated to NTO 2.0.
Dish TV to Charge Up to Rs 160 NCF for Channels Greater Than 200
The new changes from Trai mean operators will have to provide 200 FTA channels per month in the base NCF slab of Rs 130 (Rs 153.40 including taxes). Dish TV will charge up to Rs 160 (Rs 188.80 including taxes) per month for channels greater than 200. Tata Sky and Airtel Digital TV have similar NCF slabs. While DTH operators are publishing revised NCF in accordance with NTO 2.0, the actual implementation is yet to begin.
For instance, our Tata Sky, Airtel Digital TV and Dish TV account are still displaying NCF of Rs 153 for 0 to 100 channels. However, the revised NCF rules will provide 0 to 200 channels at the same price. So it seems like operators are still in the process of migrating customers to new regulations. On the other hand, it is worth noting that Tata Sky's Multi TV NCF prices have been reduced on March 1 itself.
Even during NTO 1.0, DTH and Cable TV operators faced a major setback in implementing the new rules set by Trai which irked a lot of consumers and even made them disconnect the connection altogether.
Dish TV Retains Old Multi TV Policy
Trai's NTO 2.0 also brings some major changes to the Multi TV policy. In NTO 1.0, Trai gave the freedom to DTH/Cable TV operators whether to provide any discount on NCF to Multi TV users. However, the regulator took full control of the same and stated that an operator would not be able to charge more than NCF more than 40% for Multi TV connections compared to the NCF of primary connection. So Tata Sky and Airtel Digital TV will be charging Rs 61 as NCF from every Multi TV user with Rs 153 as NCF for primary connection.
Thankfully, Dish TV has retained its old Multi TV policy as part of which it will charge just Rs 50 as NCF from Multi TV connection. Dish TV users can avail a total of three Multi TV connections which will take total connection count to four, including primary connection. Even D2h has retained its old Multi TV policy and will charge Rs 50 as NCF for every Multi TV connection. Most importantly, Dish TV and D2h Multi TV users will not face any service issues as the charges remain the same.
