India Broadband Forum

just4kix

Without exception all DTH providers are struggling. India is a complex nation with a slew of communities within communities. What works for one income group does not work for others.

Cable TV has been successful mainly because of the following reasons:

• They offered everything that was available (pre-CAS days)
• The billing was simple - pay this much every month - everyone around you (in the neighbourhood) paid the same price.
• There was no choice because of cable mafia - pick me or go to hell.

With DTH entering the market, the people who understood what DTH meant were excited. Here is an alternative - better quality, freedom of choice, end to mafiagiri, etc. DishTV created the initial ripples and when TataSky followed a year later the DTH revolution took off.

But sometime later the disappointment started settling in.

• The initial cost was high
• The monthly package cost was higher
• There was very little local support - you had to call the central customer care only.
• Customer care people do not respond in time.
• Then came further pricing changes - channels being removed at will, etc.
• Customer could not change to another provider because he would have to pay initial costs all over again

DTH providers have put forward their own counter argument:

• Initial cost is high because equipment is costly
• Each subscriber gets independent CPE whereas in cable it is shared
• Having central customer care center helps cut down costs.
• It is not possible to predict complaints. So they try to keep the optimum people to run the center effectively. Sometimes these complaints rise and service personnel fall short.
• Channel prices are controlled by content providers. They change the policies without announcement and hence DTH providers follow.
• It is not possible for them to standardize on CPE unless specific formulations come up from government dictating technology, medium, etc. (MPEG2 or MPEG4)

However, as a consumer, I feel that it is possible to meet midway by implementing at a least a few consumer friendly policies and yet still working within the framework and limitations of their own:

• Provide free CPE for long term contracts
• Allow buy back of old CPE at a discount
• Keep channels in a package constant for the duration of the contract (recharge period)
• Sit and discuss the channel packaging policy with content providers. Insist on a-la-carte price of each channel.
• MPEG4 will be the technology of the future. Move to the technology as soon as possible, if not already done. MPEG4 will help cutting down bandwidth cost.

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mickey

Channels and companies are fooling the people. They have lots of advertisements and show unwanted stuffs.(read Kal kapaal Mahakaal and endless soap operas spoiling women and girls) you have to give taxes to these entertainment companies for this fu£$ stuff. I think Indian people must rise and have just one connection for all colony. If you have guts to fight this give us better services and programmes or we will share one connection for all community. Paying for one. And we will not let any entertainment officer come into our locals. (A dream which i want to become true)
apart above devilious statement. I want dth providers to give all channels and don mud with public when comes to hefty charges on channels and also on installation. Ye tera zyada,ye mera. What f*+= is this?Y NOT YE SABKA FAYDA?

panchabhut

another main demand of the consumer is the interchangeability of CPE.
Changing the smart card should be enough. why should the whole CPE need to be changed. there needs to be proper standardisation in this regard. this creates barrier to exit, which naturally creates a mental barrier to entry.
however, this could only be achieved through govt. regulations.

just4kix

Good suggestion. But before that, technology such as MPEG4 or whatever must be standardized.

mickey

they will make money for each patent they bring up....

we want investment for new technology we bring, thats what these comapnies are doing..