New regulations for DTH channels and cable TV companies in India have been released by the Telecom Authority of India, or TRAI. You now have the option to pick and choose channels which you want to watch and pay for. You can customise and design your pack by selecting either broadcaster bouquet or ala carte thanks to the TRAI’s new DTH rules. While ala carte allows you to choose individual channels of your liking, the broadcaster bouquet is a value pack with a set of DTH channels listed by the broadcaster. In addition to paying for the channels you chose under ala-carte or broadcaster bouquet, now you have to also pay the base tariff which TRAI calls, “Network Capacity Fee” (NCF).
What is the Network Capacity Fee?
The “Network Capacity Fee” is essentially what subscribers pay the distributor to distribute the TV channels they have subscribed to. In any event, it does not include a monthly or annual subscription charge for the pay channel or bundle of pay channels. A DTH provider, such as Sun Direct, will accept the NCF in exchange for 100 FTA (Free-to-Air) or more, SD channels for the consumer. Out of these 100 SD channels, all DD channels are obligatory included in every box under the TRAI regulation.
What are the NCF charges according to the new DTH rules in India?
Regardless of the DTH operator, the network capacity price for the first 100 Standard Definition (SD) channels is Rs. 130 without taxes. A total NCF of Rs. 130 results from the addition of an 18% GST. The user must pay NCF for any additional “Pay Channels” they subscribe to, on top of the NCF for the first 100 FTA channels, in the manner described below.
There is an NCF of Rs. 20 plus an 18% fee for every additional 25 channels.
If there are fewer than 15 channels, the NCF is Rs. 1 per channel plus taxes.
Is it mandatory to pay for the NCF charges?
Yes, it is mandatory for subscribers to mandatorily to pay a minimum monthly cost to their DTH operator.
Is the NCF charge the same for both SD and HD DTH channels?
It doesn’t matter if you are watching shows on a standard or high-definition TV, you can mix the channels. The TRAI count will differ slightly, for each SD channel. Whether you’re watching television on a standard or high-definition TV, you have the option to mix channels. When this is the case, the TRAI count is slightly different. An SD channel will be counted as one channel. On the other hand, 1 HD channel is counted as 2 SD channels.
For a better understanding, consider this situation where the users are using Airtel DTH connection:
· User A opted for 200 SD channels, their NCF charges will be Rs 153.40
· User B opted for 100 SD channels and 50 HD channels, their NCF charges will be the same 153.40 (50 HD channels are counted as 100 SD channels)
· User C opted for 100 SD channels and 75 HD channels, their NCF charges per month will be Rs 188.80. (75 HD channels are counted as 150 SD channels. So, 100 + 150 = 250)
At Sun Direct, a NCF charge of Rs. 59 will now include up to 200 channels. For a better understanding consider these three scenarios.
· Subscriber 1 – opts for 200 SD channels then the NCF charges will be Rs.59 plus tax.
· Subscriber 2 – opts for 100 SD channels and 50 HD channels then the NCF charges will be the same Rs 59 plus tax.
· Subscriber 3 – opts for 100 SD channels and 75 HD channels, their NCF charges per month will be Rs 73.75. (75 HD channels will be counted as 150 SD channels. So, 100+150 – 250)
If you opt for a new DTH primary connection from Sun Direct, then the minimum NCF charge you have to pay is Rs. 59 plus taxes. In comparison to other DTH operators, Sun Direct charges the least NCF charges among all other DTH operators. Moreover, there are pocket-friendly subscription plans like the Sun Direct Bouquets, Broadcaster Bouquets, and the Broadcaster Ala-carte, where you can choose your favourite DTH channels of different genres. To know more about their plans, visit https://www.sundirect.in/
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