Significantly, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) capped at ₹160 the amount consumers will have to pay monthly for all free to air channels. After examining various provisions, TRAI has also reduced the maximum NCF charge to ₹130 (excluding taxes) for 200 channels. In addition, it has also been decided that channels declared mandatory by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will not be counted in the number of channels in the NCF. The sum of the a-la-carte rates of the pay channels forming part of a bouquet shall in no case exceed one and a half times the rate of the bouquet of which such pay channels are a part, the TRAI said. The a-la-carte rates of each pay channel (MRP), forming part of a bouquet, shall in no case exceed three times the average rate of a pay channel of the bouquet of which such pay channel is a part, it said.

Source: The Hindu January 02, 2020 06:04 UTC