Barring operators from disabling the set-top-boxes of the subscribers who choose to opt out of their services and from changing schemes and packages earlier than a period of six months are among the guidelines issued by the telecom regulatory authority of India (Trai) on quality of service of DTH.

There are three DTH service providers in the country — TataSky, Dish TV and Doordarshan. Out of these Tata-owned TataSky and Zee-owned Dish TV are paid services, while Doordarshan is free. TataSky and Dish TV account for close to 3 million subscribers. Reliance and Sun TV are also slated to launch services in the next few months.

At present, the DTH service providers disable the set-top box of a subscriber by transmitting a software through the dish, rendering it dead for the purpose of receiving free channels provided by the Doordarshan’s DTH, DD Direct. Therefore, a subscriber who wants to view on channels provided by Doordarshan has to buy a new set top box.

The ‘Direct to Home Broadcasting Services (Standards of Quality of Service and Redressal of Grievances) Regulation, 2007’ issued by the regulator today also barred operators from changing schemes and packages earlier than a period of six months.

The subscriber, however, can opt out of one package to go for another any time, according to the new rules that will be implemented from December 1 this year.