Trai set Deadline to Submit forms for Cable TV Access

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India in Month of June 2013 issued guidelines that Cable TV subscriber who fails to submit their consumer application forms by 25 June 2013 will face disconnection.

The disconnection can affect 80% of such viewers in the country’s cities as the new system has been implemented in 42 cities that have populations in excess of 1 million.

It has been directed by the Trai that the Non-compliance by consumers who have been shifted to the new digital cable TV distribution system will directly lead to disconnection by their cable operator.

It has been seen that the consumer application forms have not been filled up by a majority of subscribers due to practical limitations such as legibility of font, and inability to understand the English language. The local cable operators usually send technicians for such an exercise and they are unable to communicate properly with the consumers.

Trai by now has started a process to take legal action against 14 local cable operators and one multi-system operator (MSO) that has a network in several cities for non-compliance of the rules, particularly which is related to quality of service.