Direct to home broadcast service brought a tremendous change from the traditional cable Television Network to a new era of transmission. DTH services were first proposed in India in 1996 but came into effect only in 2000. The DTH services have many advantages over cable TV. DTH network features HD, CD sound, superior picture quality with huge number of channel access. DTH has more remote geographical access than cable TV. Special features like recording and playing games, study aids for children and language home tutorial package with movies on demand features in two decades DTH providers captured the market of television viewers.
DTH, stands for direct to home services. It is a wireless system for delivering television programs directly to the viewer’s house. It means transmission of digital video channels to home subscribers through small dish antennas.
In India DTH services are governed by the direct to home broadcasting services (standards of quality of service and redressal of grievances) regulations, 2007. It gives in detail the terms of services, connection, disconnection, transfer and shifting of DTH units. Every consumer can approach the DTH service provider for services with requisite information. On receiving such request, if technically and operational wise feasible, provide, on non-discriminatory basis, the direct to home service to every person making request for the same.
The customer shall be given an option on outright purchase or hire purchase or rent the Home customer Premises equipment. No charges payable towards repair and maintenance of Direct to Home Customer Premises Equipment acquired under the hire purchase scheme or on rental scheme during the period of hire purchase or rental scheme.
Any person seeking connection, disconnection or shifting of direct to home service connection may make an application in duplicate to the direct to home operator in such format as may be specified by the direct to home operator and such application shall be provided to such person by the direct to home operator:
Every direct to home operator shall, on receipt of an application in duplicate for connection of direct to home service, made by any person complete in all respects, give a unique customer identification number and provide a copy of the Manual at the time of his subscription for direct to home service. Any request for shifting, disconnection and reconnection must be completed within reasonable time and it must not exceed five working days.
No direct to home operator shall take off the air or discontinue exhibition of any channel without giving prior notice to the direct to home subscribers. The notice must be published widely. no direct to home operator shall discontinue its direct to home service to its direct to 6 home subscribers without giving prior notice indicating the reasons for such disconnection. In case direct to home service is required to be interrupted for the purpose of facilitating preventive maintenance, the subscribers shall be given a prior notice indicating therein the expected date of resumption of service.
In case the direct to home subscriber does not owe any dues ( including any arrears towards instalments of hire purchase scheme or arrears of rent for the Direct to Home Customer Premises Equipment of such operator) to a direct to home operator, such operator shall not disable the Direct to Home Set Top Box of such subscriber who does not intend to continue to opt or avail direct to home services offered by such direct to home operator and uses or intends to use the Direct to Home Customer Premises Equipment for viewing the direct to home services of Doordarshan or any other direct to home operator.
No increase of subscription for direct to home service for six months to the disadvantage of the direct to home subscriber. However, customer can opt for an enhanced plan as well as operator can reduce the price of existing plans. Similarly, no charges to be levied during discontinuance of direct to home service where the services are discontinued by the operator or upon the request of the customer.
All home operators must establish a call centre for customer service. The maximum time frame provided for resolutions of complaint is five working days.
The service providers are required to establish a nodal officer to deal with subscriber’s complaints. The subscribers can also approach the consumer forums established under the Consumer protection Act, 1986 for redressal of any deficiency in service.