Lok Sabha Question No. 1103 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-04-29
Subject: Monitoring Mechanism for DTH Service
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: JAYADEV GALLA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1103

(TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.04.2016)

## MONITORING MECHANISM FOR DTH SERVICE

## 1103. SHRI JAYADEV GALLA:

## Will the Minister of INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  taken  cognizance  of  the  problems  being  faced  by  DTH consumers with their service providers, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether there is any monitoring mechanism to see whether DTH service providers are not charging exorbitantly;
- (c) if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether  free  to  air  channels  have  to  be  beamed  even  though  consumer  prefers  not  to have paid news channels, if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  DTH  service  providers  are  stopping  services  if there is delay in payment, if so, the corrective measures taken by the Government in this regard along with other steps taken to ensure that at least free to air channels are aired?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING {COL RAJYAVARDHAN RATHORE (Retd.)}

(a) to (c): The tariff for DTH services is governed by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)'s Tariff Order namely 'Telecommunication (Broadcasting & Cable) Services (Fourth) (Addressable Systems) Tariff Order, 2010 dated 21 st July,  2010', as amended. As per this tariff  order, the DTH operators are free to price and package their services, based on their business model and subject to certain conditions prescribed in the said tariff order. Clause 6(4) of the said tariff order provides that 'it shall be open to the service provider to specify a minimum  monthly  subscription,  not  exceeding  one  hundred  and  fifty  rupees  (exclusive  of taxes)  per  month  per  subscriber,  towards  channels  chosen  by  the  subscriber,  either  a-lacarte or bouquet, for availing the services of such service provider'.

TRAI has also issued Direct to Home Broadcasting Services (Standards of Quality of Service and  Redressal  of  Grievances)  Regulations,  2007  dated  31 st August,  2007,  as  amended, which essentially covers regulatory provisions relating to protection of the interests of DTH subscribers. All private DTH operators are required to comply with the regulations and tariff order issued by TRAI.

(d)  to  (e):  'Free  to  air  channel'  means  a  channel  for  which  no  fees  is  to  be  paid  to  the broadcaster for its re-transmission through electromagnetic waves through cable or through space intended to be received by the general public either directly or indirectly. Clause 6(1) of  the  said  tariff  order  provides  that  a-la-carte  rate  of  free-to-air  (FTA)  channels  shall  be uniform  for  a  DTH  operator.  FTA  channels  are  free  for  the  distributors  of  TV  channels including  DTH  operators.  FTA  channels  are  distributed  by  DTH  operators  over  their infrastructure. DTH operators therefore incur some expenditure in carriage and transmission of  the  FTA  channels.  Therefore,  subscribers  may  be  charged  some  cost  for  availing  FTA channels.

Detailed Tariff Order and DTH quality of service regulations are available on TRAI's website: www.trai.gov.in.

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