Noting that real benefits of digitisation were not reaching consumers, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has asked multi—system operators and local cable operators in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata to maintain all details of subscribers, including their choice of services.
Establishing a Subscriber Management System will bring more transparency as it enables the subscribers to exercise their choice of services and budget their bills accordingly, the TRAI said on Tuesday.
As per the Quality of Service (QoS) regulations of TRAI, MSOs are required to establish a Subscriber Management System wherein all the details of the subscribers alongwith their choice of services (ie channels, bouquets etc) are required to be maintained, the TRAI statement said.
“This would bring in addressability and consequently, complete transparency in the whole system. This system enables the subscribers to exercise their choice of services and budget their bills accordingly and also facilitates the MSOs to effectively manage their accounting and billing of the services rendered,” it said.
The regulator said that this feature has not been implemented effectively by many MSOs. “Also in many of the cases LCOs have not provided the completed subscriber application forms to their linked MSOs. Thus, the real benefits of digitisation are not reaching to the subscribers,” it added.
TRAI directed all the registered MSOs and LCOs to ensure, in accordance with their mutually agreed roles, that the Subscriber Management System is made fully operational, as envisaged in the QoS regulations.
Digitisation is being implemented across the country in a phased manner, starting with the first phase from Nov 1, 2012 and the fourth and final phase completing by 31st Dec 2014.
The I&B Ministry has claimed that Digitisation had been achieved in Phase I cities — Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata while in Chennai the matter is still sub judice.