NCF of Top DTH Operators – Price Comparision

TRAI the regulator of Telecom and Broadcasting sector in India has introduced New Tariff Order way back in 2017. Which brought the Network Capacity Fee (NCF) into play.

But knowing what is NCF and how it is affecting your bill will help you reduce your Cable/ DTH bill and save your hard earned money.

First we will see what is Network Capacity Feeand how it works, later we can compare the top DTH providers in India.

What is Network Capacity Fee?

Network Capacity Fee is the Amount payable by a subscriber to the distributor of television channels (i.e., DTH/ Cable operator) for receiving the signals of subscribed television channels.

In other words it is the Fee paid by the subscriber to the DPO for carrying the channels from the broadcaster to the consumer home. Thus it does not include the price of the channel you subscribed.

NCF is a mandatory part of your bill, Thus by reducing the same you can reduce your total bill amount in the long run.

Cap on Network Capacity Fee

TRAI with New Tariff Order 2022 (NTO 3.0) put a cap on the maximum Network Capacity Fee that can be set by the DPO’s. The maximum limit set as below.

• The maximum Network Capacity Fee (NCF) for the first 200 SD channels is Rs. 130.
• For more than 200 SD channels the NCF is capped at Rs. 160.
• NCF for the second and consecutive connection of the same home should not be more than 40% of the NCF of the primary connection.

The price of NCF mentioned here is excluding GST.
NCF is paid on the monthly basis.

Comparison of NCF

Cable and DTH operators are free to set the NCF obliging to the maximum cap put by TRAI as above.

Hence each cable and DTH operators set a different NCF as per their business policy, Here we are comparing the NCF of the DTH providers in India.

Indian DTH industry has 4 major players they are

• Tata Play
• Dish TV India
• Sun Direct
• Bharti Telemedia (Airtel)

NCF for Primary Connection

For Primary TV connection all the DTH Operator except Sun Direct are providing the Same Rate.

Tata Play, Dish TV and Bharti Airtel fixed the NCF as Rs. 130 + GST for the first 200 SD Channels and Rs. 160 + GST.

Sun Direct stands tall with the offering of NCF as Rs. 50 to 100 based on the topography of the service location.

* The NCF is varies based on the service area.

NCF for Secondary Connection

Secondary connection is the second and consecutive connection requested within the same home. Since it is the auxiliary to the primary connection there is an offer on the NCF on secondary connection.

As per TRAI regulation the NCF on secondary should not be more than 40% of the NCF on Primary connection.

• NCF of Tata Play and Bharti Airtel charges NCF at similar rate as Rs. 52 for first 200 SD channels and Rs. 64 for more than 200 Channels.

• DishTV offers a NCF of Rs. 50 as a fixed NCF for any number of channels.
• Sun Direct shines here as well with great offerings with NCF of 20 to 40 based on the service location.

* The NCF is varies based on the service area.

All the amount mentioned here are excluding GST otherwise mentioned.

Conclusion

Thus in comparison Sun Direct comes on top with giving a lower Network Capacity Fee to its subscribers.

You can save a lot with Sun Direct than any other DTH operator in India.

But it does not mean you should switch your DTH operator right away. There is more to consider before choosing a right operator like the service of the operator, channels provided and the quality of the service.

We would cover all the criteria in the future but as of now comment on this post, whether this is being useful to you and send us feedback on your thoughts.