Andrew Bonwick
Vice President of Product Development at Relm Insurance
Madhav Sheth
CEO of Ai+ Smartphone
Stephen Rose
CEO Render Networks

The long-term packs in the DTH industry have become a cause of controversy lately. When the new regulatory framework by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) came into effect, it dismissed all the existing packs that the consumers were subscribed to, including the long-term packs and asked them to upgrade to the new channel packs. However, subscribers were enjoying these packs even before the new rules had come into play, and they were of the thought that these packs would continue to function the same until validity expired. As per a new ET report, Tata Sky, the prominent DTH provider, has managed to get a stay on the latest Trai directive about long-duration packs.

Tata Sky Argues Against Trai’s May 1 Directive
Many DTH consumers opted for such packs which came in quarterly, six-monthly and annual options, but after these plans were revoked, the customers felt cheated. When the new norms were implemented, and when these subscribers did not make any channel selections, they were automatically downgraded to the best-fit plans as directed by the sector regulator. These subscribers were of the thought that they would not have to pay anything extra until their plans were valid.
Later seeing the consumer sentiment, Trai issued a directive on May 1 ordering the DTH companies to honour the long-duration packs and continue providing this service if the consumer hadn’t selected channels. However, in a new development, Tata Sky has approached Delhi High Court and has managed to get a stay on this directive on Wednesday, and now the matter will be heard on July 11.