TRAI gives one more week to submit CAF

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has granted a week’s extension to Multi-System Operators (MSOs), who were to submit consumer application forms along with the subscriber and package details latest by December 15. The deadline was extended after a meeting the regulator held with MSOs on 16 December. 

Industry estimates suggest that 60-65 per cent of consumer application forms have been submitted from cities that come under phase-2 of digitisation. An estimated 16 million set-top boxes were required to be installed in cities under phase-2. There will be a final meeting on the matter between TRAI and MSOs on 24 December.

MSOs expect that in the next six-seven days they will be able to get forms from 80 per cent of subscribers. The balance 10 -20 per cent subscribers are expected to submit their forms in the next fortnight.

Ravi Mansukhani, MD, InCablenet, said, nearly 70 per cent of the subscribers had submitted their forms and the rest were expected to come in within a week. 

TRAI had earlier this month issued a directive to 118 MSOs to provide cable TV services on both pre-paid and post-paid payment options to the subscriber and that they will be responsible for generation of bills for the subscribers. 

However, Mrs. Roop Sharma, President, Cable Operators Federation of India commented on the development that it is difficult to get the customer forms from all subscribers as subscribers who were having more than one TV set and were paying for one connection are reluctant to fill the form for all TV sets which MSOs are insisting where a consumer paid only Rs 200 for three TV set, he is being asked to pay about 600 now including taxes.

Source: http://cablequest.org/news/digitization-news/item/3815-trai-gives-one-more-week-to-submit-caf.htmlSource: http://cablequest.org/news/digitization-news/item/3815-trai-gives-one-more-week-to-submit-caf.html