Viewers harassed by their cable operators can take heart. Broadcast regulator TRAI on Tuesday issued guidelines on ensuring quality service in areas where the conditional access system (CAS) has not been implemented but can be done in the future.
The regulations will benefit over 80 million subscribers as it will ensure that they receive quality service in non-CAS areas and will be implemented from April 2009.
The new regulations make it compulsory for cable operators to issue bills and receipts to cable TV subscribers, maintain help-desk from 8 am to 8 pm everyday, maintain compulsory technical standards including a good quality, measurable signal strength at subscriber's end and ensure six-hour power backup among others. Viewers can also demand disconnection of the old cable television and reconnection to the CAS system within seven days.
The regulation also entrusts district consumer forums and state government officials to handle grievances and enforce quality of service.
"The regulations were finalised after inviting comments from stakeholders, an open house discussion held in February in Kolkata with representatives of stakeholders to further deliberate on various issues raised in the paper," a statement issued by TRAI said.
Cable operators representatives, however, feel that they should be given some leverage to act against erring consumers. "We should be given some power to act against those consumers who steal cables
, take illegal connections or damage our equipment. TRAI should also address these issues," Roop Sharma, president of the Cable Operators Federation of India said.
source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Trai-sets-quality-guidelines-for-cable-operators/articleshow/4184937.cms
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