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TRAI regulations
effective from 1st April
The Telecom Regulatory
Authority of India (TRAI) has issued the Standards of Quality of
Service (Broadcasting and Cable Services) (Cable Television –
Non-CAS Areas) Regulations, 2009. These regulations will empower
the consumers for receiving quality service from the cable TV service
providers in non-CAS areas. These regulations will take effect from
April 1st, 2009, which will give sometime to the service providers
to take necessary steps to comply with these regulations.
There are more than
80 million consumers receiving cable TV services in non-CAS areas,
being served by about 60,000 cable operators. No formal regulations
for quality of service (QoS) were issued so far in view of the highly
fragmented nature of cable TV sector and because of implementational
difficulties at ground level. Subsequently, TRAI has issued Quality
of Service Regulations for cable services for CAS notified Areas
in 2006. The DTH subscribers are also benefited by the Quality of
Service Regulations for DTH Services issued by TRAI in 2007.
As a result of the
lessons learnt after issuing QoS Regulations for cable TV services
in CAS notified areas and for DTH service, the Authority felt it
appropriate to commence the consultation process on the subject,
and accordingly, TRAI has discussed the issues of Quality of Service
for cable TV services in non-CAS areas in a consultation paper released
on December 01, 2008. The comments of the stakeholders on the subject
were invited by January 10, 2009. Responses received from 27 stakeholders/representatives
were posted on TRAI's website on January 19, 2009. An open house
discussion was then held on February 06, 2009 in Kolkata with representatives
of stakeholders to further deliberate on various issues raised in
the paper.
Based on the analysis
of inputs received during consultation process, the Authority has
decided in favour of issuing QoS regulations for highly fragmented
non-CAS cable TV networks across the country. The Authority, while
framing these regulations, appreciated the voluntary digitalization
and adoption of addressability by some of the service providers
in non-CAS areas, and accordingly provisions have been made for
seamless migration on QoS front whenever CAS is extended by the
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting in their areas of operation
in future.
The main
features of the Regulations are as follows-
i. Procedure for
connection, disconnection and reconnection of cable services within
seven days,
ii. Making it compulsory for cable operators to issue bills and
receipts to cable TV subscribers,
iii. Complaint handling and its redressal, including maintaining
helpdesk from 8.00 am to 8.00 pm everyday,
iv. Standards for provisioning of Digital Decoders and Set Top Boxes
for voluntary CAS,
v. Compulsory technical standards to be observed by the cable operators,
including a good quality, measurable signal strength at subscriber's
end, maintaining six-hour power backup etc.,
vi. Monitoring of Quality of Service standards.
The Authority is
aware of the fact that effective enforcement and implementation
of any regulation is essential to extend benefits to the consumers.
Therefore, the Authority has already written to the State Governments
for involving the district administration for enforcement of QoS
Regulations at the grass root level. Twelve State Governments have
so far extended their consent for such proposal. Some of the remaining
states are examining it, and responses from others are awaited.
Keeping in view the effective implementation of these regulations,
the Authority is simultaneously considering the process of delegating
powers to the officials of the State Governments as per their consent.
In addition, the consumers can approach District Consumer Forum
if the QoS standards are not met by the cable operators. The regulations
have largely to be seen as a tool for self regulation by the service
providers, residents associations etc. and a high degree of sensitivity
and responsiveness towards the subscribers is expected from the
service providers.
The Authority believes
that these QoS Regulations would go a long way in protecting the
interests of the cable TV consumers at large
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