TRAI releases draft tariff order for set top boxes and other equipment for DTH services
12 Apr 2013
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) today released draft tariff regulations prescribing standard tariff package (STP) for set top boxes (STBs) for digital addressable cable TV systems (DAS) and consumer premises equipments (CPEs) for direct to home (DTH) services.
In digital addressable systems, customers need a STB/ CPE to be connected with the TV set for reception of TV programmes as signal transmission is in digital and encrypted form.
This has been necessitated by the wholesale shift to digital technology where different technologies co-exist, within as well as across different platforms of the DAS.
The STBs/CPEs deployed by one operator may not be fully compatible with the network of another operator, hampering effective migration of the customer from one service provider to another.
To protect the interests of the consumers TRAI has decided to prescribe standard tariff packages for STB/CPE on rental basis, which are to be mandatorily offered by the service providers, ie, DTH and cable operators.
This scheme envisages payment of a security deposit and monthly rental. The service providers are free to offer other tariff packages over and above this.
TRAI has invited written comments on the draft tariff orders from stakeholders by 26 April 2013.