Airtel DTH, Dish TV, Hathway announce individual channel pricing after TRAI order

After new regulations were announced by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), major DTH operators including Airtel DTH, Dish TV and Hathway Cable have come out with individual pricing of TV channels.

Besides combo top-ups, Airtel DTH now also has a la carte plans for all TV channels with prices shooting above ₹ 20 for premium channels like Zee Cinema, Sony, Star Plus, Sony Ten and Star Sports. There are a host of free-to-air channels as well as like DD, 9XM, B4U Music, etc. DTH player Dish TV too has released its channel pricing list on its website.

Cable operator Hathway, whose basic plan starts from ₹ 100, has both individual channel prices as well as genre-based packs. The English movie pack, for example, comes to you at a price of ₹ 42.37 per month. The sports pack, with a list of 7 popular channels, also comes at the same price.

TRAI has given time till January 31 for consumers to select channels of their choice under the new framework for broadcasting and cable services and said all existing packs of subscribers will continue uninterrupted till then.

The TRAI, in March, 2017, had notified the new regulatory framework for broadcasting and cable services and re-notified it on July 3, 2018, prescribing the implementation schedule.

“All existing packs/plans/bouquets to the subscribers will continue uninterrupted till January 31, 2019. No service provider to disconnect any signal or feed to any MSO/LCO (local cable operator)/subscriber till January 2019,” TRAI had said in a statement. LiveMint