Boxed in by complaints, TRAI to review broadcast tariff rules

NEW DELHI: India’s telecom regulator has begun a review of the broadcast tariff regime it implemented eight months ago to address complaints from viewers about higher bills and picking the channels they want to watch becoming more difficult.

The review is aimed at easing channel choice and will possibly lead to lower bills, some experts said. The regulator also admonished broadcasters and cable operators for misusing the new rules to extract revenue and kill consumer choice.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India issued an exhaustive consultation paper on Friday that also raised about 30 questions. It asked whether channel bouquets should be allowed, whether caps on discounts within bouquets offered to consumers should be reintroduced and whether the ceiling price of channels in bouquets — at ?19 now — should be reexamined.