TRAI Chairman blasts out MSOs for not submitting customer data

Sending a strong signal to the Industry, TRAI Chairman Rahul Khullar pulled up the top honchos of national MSOs today for not submitting the customer data that the regulator had asked for months ago. 

MSOs had earlier been pulled up similarly on 22 March and during subsequent meetings held in the Authority concerning implementation of DAS in Phase II, had been warned that strict action against them would be taken under the TRAI act. However there was no compliance with the regulations.

In today’s’ meeting Rahul Khullar had summoned the heads of Siti Cable, Incable, Hathway, DEN and Digicable to the TRAI headquarter in Delhi. Digicable's Jagjit Singh Kohli requested to be excused whereas all other senior executives of these MSOs attended the meeting. According to sources Hathway's Jagdeesh Kumar; Incable's Ravi Mansukhani; Siticable's Wadhwa and Anil Malhotra, and DEN's SN Sharma and Sameer Manchanda were present in TRAI Chairman’s office. 

It appears that Mr Khullar was not in a mood to listen to any lengthy arguments and excuses and came straight to the point demanding the customer data from them which they were to submit months ago. In fact he warned them that he would not hesitate to use his powers and prosecute each one of them if he did not receive the data for Phase I by 30th June 2013. “DAS and SMS billing have to move ahead," he emphasized.

It is also heard that TRAI Chairman has even permitted the MSOs to disconnect local cable TV operators and subscribers who are showing any reluctance in the submission of the KYC (know your customer) forms. 

It is a known fact that there are many more troubles in this mandatory digitization than seen by TRAI. It is not just signing the KYC forms but it is acceptance of a completely new system by the consumers whereby they invest in an STB to avail the cable TV services and then pay two to three times for the same service that they have enjoyed for the last twenty years. 

Local Cable Operators are finding it difficult to get the KYC forms signed because channel packages of consumer choice are not made available by the MSOs. Since MSOs have been forced to buy channels in bouquets by the channel aggregators, they are trying to sell them the same way whether consumers like it or not. A-la-carte channels are much costly to subscribe. Broadcasters and MSOs are not complying with the twin conditions of the TRAI Tariff Order for which TRAI has also issued consultation paper to amend the Tariff Order and Interconnection regulations. If amendment to the regulations is still underway, how is TRAI trying to force the subscribers to sign the KYC forms?

It is the same way that I&B Ministry forced millions of consumers to buy poor quality vanilla STBs without any tariff plans and packages in place, just to prove that they have successfully implemented the DAS. 

Now it is learnt that MSOs are going to crack the whip on LCOs on the customer forms issue. According to sources, the four MSOs got together post the TRAI meeting and have agreed to act in coordination with each other. The idea is to switch off all the set top boxes for which the MSOs don't have the customer details. The switch-off will be done area wise expecting that this will force local cable operators to share the forms with MSOs. The latter have also agreed to not allow cable TV operators to switch MSOs or play one MSO against the other.

In this dirty game called mandatory digitization, consumers and LCOs will be the biggest sufferers. If consumers are not ready to fill up form for each of the STB forced upon them, their connection may be disconnected and LCO would lose his business. It is believed that many consumers have not agreed to the package of channels forced upon them by the broadcasters. 

This chaos will definitely go on for quite some time whether Mr Khullar likes it or not. He has already moved the court against some LCOs. Let us see if he really means business and prosecutes some national MSOs and Pay Broadcasters who have not signed the interconnect agreements with each other and with LCOs for which he had already given them directions on 6th May 2013 and last date of submission was 12th May.

Source: http://cablequest.org/news/digitization-news/item/2572-trai-chairman-blasts-out-msos-for-not-submitting-customer-data.html
Source: http://cablequest.org/news/digitization-news/item/2572-trai-chairman-blasts-out-msos-for-not-submitting-customer-data.html