Trai issues quality service code for cable operators

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has issued the standards of quality of service (Broadcasting and Cable Services) (Cable Television – non-CAS areas) regulations 2009, according to a release issued by the ministry of communication and information technology.

The regulations, which are aimed at empowering the consumers for receiving quality service from the cable TV service providers in non-CAS areas, will take effect from April 1 this year, “which will give sometime to the service providers to take necessary steps to comply with these regulations”, the release mentions.

The regulations include connection of cable services to be made available within seven days, compulsory issuing of bills and receipts by the cable operators and standards for providing digital decoders and set top boxes for voluntary CAS.

There are over 8 crore consumers of cable TV services in non-CAS areas in India, being served by about 60,000 cable operators. No formal regulations for quality of service (QoS) have been issued so far owing to the fragmented nature of cable TV sector and difficulties in implementing these regulations at the ground level.

Trai had issued QoS regulations for cable services for CAS notified areas three years back. The QoS regulations for Direct-to-Home (DTH) services was issued by the regulator in 2007 to benefit DTH subscribers.