Over the last few years there have been increasing discussions on the growing popularity of DD Free Dish, a free-to-air service being provided by Prasar Bharati. When the platform was first launched in 2004, it had just 20 channels under it but now there are over 200 channels. While consumers continue to enjoy the FTA service, cable operators are disturbed by the fact that DD Free Dish is providing unencrypted channels, which is "promoting piracy”.

According to big cable operators, Prasar Bharati, which is selling DD Free Dish slots to broadcasters at huge prices, is allegedly not complying with TRAI’s Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services Standards of Quality of Service and Consumer Protection (Addressable Systems) Regulations, 2017 (Quality of Service Regulations) which makes it mandatory to provide encrypted channels. The AIDCF recently moved the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) against DD Free Dish for allegedly not abiding by TRAI’s regulation that requires the channels to be provided in an encrypted manner. TDSAT has issued notice to Prasar Bharati and other respondents in the matter which will now be heard next month.

Says Peeush Mahajan, President, All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF), local players who are operating without license in rural areas are taking feed from DD Free Dish as it is unencrypted and providing channels to customers. AIDCF has nine cable networks under it.

“The smaller cable operators in rural areas and small towns, who run networks without licences, take feed from the Free Dish antenna as it is unencrypted and transmit these signals in analogue mode to their customers. There is no check /curbing mechanism deployed by Free Dish. Due to this, customers get the channels for free at their premises via piracy which is hurting the overall industry,” Mahajan told e4m.

He said a digitally addressable system or DAS was implemented in 2012 which was meant for the cable TV industry to curb piracy as all the subscribers get digital addresses via CAS (conditional access system) and SMS in DAS technology. CAS is a digital mode of transmitting TV channels through a set-top box (STB). The transmission signals are encrypted and viewers need to buy a set-top box to receive and decrypt the signal.

Industry experts say while all the multiple system operators (MSOs) have implemented DAS in phase wise manner from 2012 to 2016, thereby helping in curbing piracy, DD Free Dish is still providing its signals in non-encrypted mode.

MSOs operate through their deployed cable network, wherein the consumer/subscriber is provided encrypted signals of television channels through set-top box deployed at their premises. This, say experts, has also led to a non-level playing field for cable operators with DD Free Dish.

“The objective of DD Free Dish was to provide education and information in rural areas. It was a not-for-profit service. But since 2019, Prasar Bharati changed its policy and started auctioning slots where it invites broadcasters. These broadcasters pay hundreds of crores for these slots annually,” said an expert said on the condition of anonymity.

“These broadcasters are paying for slots on DD Free Dish, and are charging hefty amounts from DPOs (distribution platform operators). It is unfair for the DPOs or cable operators,” the experts added.

DD Free Dish is the only free-to-air (FTA) Direct-To-Home (DTH) Service where there is no monthly subscription fee from the viewers. It requires a one-time investment of about Rs 2000 for purchasing set-top-box (STB) and small-sized dish antenna with accessories. Currently, there are 167 TV channels on the platform and 48 radio channels on Free Dish with a reach of more than 43 million households.

As per the recent FICCI-EY Report 2022, “Free Television continued to grow its base to reach an estimated 43 million subscribers on the back of less expensive television sets, economic issues, and addition of new channels to the platform.”

e4m reached out to Prasar Bharati for their stand on the matter, but is yet to receive a response.