Trai Discusses Variable NCF, Discounts on LTR Packs and More in Consultation Paper for Tariff Related Issues

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has issued a new consultation paper on Tariff related issues for Broadcasting and Cable Services. To recall, several TV viewers in the country had complained regarding the new tariff regime introduced by Trai earlier this year. After several backlashes from the viewers, Trai admitted that it would bring changes to the new tariff regime, and on the same lines, it has now issued a consultation paper discussing what changes we might see in the tariff regime. Seeking stakeholders’ views, Trai is discussing various issues like variable NCF, discount on long-term channel packs, discount given to the subscribers in the form of bouquets and more. The consultation paper also says that the stakeholders also discussed NCF for Multi TV connections.

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Trai Blames Broadcasters for Offering Massive Discounts on Bouquet Packs

In the consultation paper, Trai shared some harsh views on how broadcasters are misusing the new tariff regime. According to Trai, “it was expected of the broadcasters take a holistic view of the matter and give due consideration to the observations of while pricing their bouquets and channels.”

During all these days of tariff regime implementation, Trai says it observed that broadcasters are offering bouquets at a discount of up to 70% of the sum of a-la-carte rates of pay channels constituting those bouquets. In Trai’s view, this move from broadcasters is not a good one as they’re making prices of a-la-carte channels illusory thereby impacting the a-la-carte choice of channels by consumers and giving huge discounts on bouquets to push even those channels which are not the choice of subscribers. The main motto of Trai’s new tariff regime is to give viewers the choice of choosing their own channels, but broadcasters are changing that by providing discounts on bouquets.