Choosing a direct-to-home (DTH) operator in India can be a Herculean task, which has become further complicated since the new pricing tariff was put in place. Many television viewers have complained about paying more for less channels than before, which has fallen on deaf ears.
But there’s good news in the offing, as consumers will get the chance to switch operators without needing to replace their existing set-top boxes. This is similar to the mobile number portability (MNP) option available to mobile subscribers in the country.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has announced that from December 2019 onwards, interoperability of set-top box and DTH operator will be put in place across the country.
This news was mentioned by RS Sharma, Chairman, TRAI, quoted by Economic Times few weeks back. The option to change DTH operator will be as simple as changing SIM for mobile numbers.
The interoperability will be handled once the set-top box technology gets a universal standard. Post which, consumers will just need to change the smart card on their devices, to move from Tata Sky to Airtel TV.
Currently, changing DTH operators is a costly affair, with people expected to shell out more than Rs 1,500 to replace their existing set-top box, and other activation changes.
Making the technology standard of set-top boxes universal could ease the process of migrating, which means DTH operators will have to pull up their socks with respect to their quality of service, or else, risk losing the customer to their rivals.
Hopefully, TRAI can meet its deadline, with service providers expected to fall in line with the regulations, and also make sure it doesn’t become any more complicated.
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