(Video) Rajya Sabha TV (RSTV) The Big Picture: Direct to Home (DTH) v/s Over the top (OTT)

Topic: Direct to Home (DTH) v/s Over the top (OTT)

Guest:

Sunil Bajpai, (Pr. Advisor, TRAI)
Subimal Bhattacharjee, (Cyber Technology Expert)
Mahesh Uppal, (Principal Adviser, Broadband India Forum)

Topic Description:

According to a recent report by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India ,the average active subscriber base of DTH services has seen a sharp decline of 25 percent in this quarter coming down to 54.26 million in April to June quarter in comparison to 72.44 million in January to March this year.

This also coincides with the new DTH tarrif regime implemented from 1st April. The decline in subscriber base highlights the challenges faced by DTH operators during the transition to new tariff regime. Accoridng to some agencies consumers have also reported increase in their subscription bills.

Meanwhile the rise of OTT services also seems to have impacted the DTH subscription numbers. With high competition in the segment , OTT service providers give the consumers a combination of both attractive content and subscription package. However regulation for OTT platforms continues to remain a contentious issue with the govt mulling over it's options .

So what are various aspects of this battle between DTH and OTT service providers and where does the consumer stand in this scenario.