MUMBAI: Major DTH players like Tata Sky, Dish TV and Sun Direct have removed the Network Capacity Fee (NCF) on free-to-air (FTA) channels above the required 100 channels, according to a report by Telecom Talk.

Under TRAI’s new broadcast regulatory regime, the cable TV bill of users now has two components, the network capacity fee (NCF), which is Rs 130 for hundred channels and the cost of any paid channels or paid bouquets.

Dish TV subscribers will be able to pick as many as 189 FTA channels, without paying any additional NCF -- over and above the base pack charges of Rs 130 per month (excluding taxes). However, it hasn’t changed anything for the paid SD and HD channels.

The operator now allows its subscribers to pick a range of FTA channels, without paying any additional NCF and has categorised all the available FTA channels into different packs, namely BST North with 189 channels, BST Hindi with 99 channels, BST Marathi and Gujarati with 84 channels, BST Bangla Odia with 83 channels, and BST DD Pack with 25 channels.

Sun Direct’s website says it is offering a total of 140 channels in the back pack of Rs 130 + 18 per cent GST. The base pack also includes the 25 Doordarshan channels, which are mandatory for all cable/DTH operators to provide.

Tata Sky is providing a limited number of channels for free beyond the designated 100.

As per the latest framework by the Telecom and Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), customers need to pay Rs 130 to get the first 100 FTA channels. An additional network fee of Rs 20 per month is also being charged for every block of 25 paid channels.