June 20, 2012 – A petition calling for clarity from the Indian regulator over new digital tariff rates for local cable TV operators is to be heard on 25 June by the Telecom Disputes Settlement & Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT).
Filed by an 182-strong body of local cable operators in Delhi known as the United Cable Operator’s Welfare Association (UCOWA), the dispute is over the new carriage rates recently set by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), prior to the mandatory digitisation of cable TV networks in India’s four major metros at the end of this month.
UCOWA’s president Sukhvinder Pal Sehgal told Exchange4Media that when its operators provided digital services in conditional access system areas, they earned INR 82 as shared commission with the multi system operator. However, under the new digital addressable systems (DAS), the organisation’s members believe they will only earn INR 45 in commission.