Nowadays, almost every household uses a Direct-to-Home (DTH) or cable TV connection, but monthly TV recharges have become quite expensive in recent years. Cable and DTH companies often offer customers bouquets or combo packs that include dozens of channels that no one in the family ever watches. These unwanted channels put an additional burden on their pockets every month.
To protect consumers from this unnecessary expense and provide a transparent system, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has launched a special initiative. With TRAI’s new Tariff Order (NTO) and the official government app, “TRAI Channel Selector,” consumers can now select only the channels they truly want to watch. This app makes it incredibly easy to remove unwanted channels and reduce their monthly bill by half.
What is the TRAI Channel Selector App and how does it work?
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has launched a universal mobile application and web portal called ‘TRAI Channel Selector’ for the convenience of all DTH and cable TV subscribers in the country. The app’s biggest feature is that it brings together almost all major DTH and cable operators in India on a single platform.
Whether you’re using Tata Play, Airtel Digital TV, Dish TV, Videocon d2h, or Sun Direct, you don’t need to visit different companies’ apps. With this government app, you can view your current active subscription, check its total cost, and remove channels you don’t watch with just one click.
The complete step-by-step process for removing unwanted channels using the government app
If you also want to reduce your TV recharge budget, you can remove unnecessary channels from your subscription by following the simple steps below:
Step 1: Download the App
First, go to your smartphone’s Google Play Store or Apple App Store and search for and download the ‘TRAI Channel Selector App’.
Step 2: Select your operator
Opening the app will display a list of all major DTH and cable operators in the country. Select your respective operator (such as Tata Play, Airtel, Dish TV, etc.).
Step 3: Login
To login, enter your registered mobile number (RMN), subscriber ID, or smart card number. You will receive an OTP (OTP) on your mobile. Enter it and submit.
Step 4: Review Current Pack
After successful login, your screen will display a list of all currently active channels and your total monthly recharge amount (Network Capacity Fee + Channel Price).
Step 5: Uncheck Unwanted Channels
Remove the checkboxes next to the channels or combo packs you don’t want to watch. If you have a bouquet pack and only a few channels are useful, remove that pack and select only the channels you want in ‘A-la-carte’ mode.
Step 6: View and Submit New Bill Estimate
As you remove unwanted channels, the estimated value of your new monthly bill will decrease on the screen. After selecting your desired channels, click the ‘Optimize’ or ‘Submit’ button. Your operator will update your new channel list within a few minutes.
Bouquet vs. A-la-carte: Learn the real math behind savings
DTH companies often sell a bundle of channels, called “bouquet packs,” to attract customers. Companies claim that each channel in a bouquet is cheaper, but the reality is that out of a 100-channel bouquet, customers only watch 10 or 12 channels regularly. The remaining 88-90 channels are unnecessarily paid for.
According to TRAI regulations, each channel has its own fixed price (A-la-carte Price). If you only watch a few news, sports, or children’s channels in your home, it’s much more beneficial to skip the entire bouquet pack and select only those specific channels on an “A-la-carte” basis. This significantly reduces your total recharge amount, including Network Capacity Fee (NCF).
Channels can also be removed from DTH operators’ official mobile apps.
If you don’t want to use the official app, you can also modify channels using the official mobile app for the DTH service you’re using:
Tata Play App: Log in to the app, go to ‘Manage Packs’, select ‘Modify Pack’, and drop the channels you want to remove and submit.
Airtel Thanks App: Go to the DTH section, click ‘Manage Channels’, and remove unnecessary channels.
My DishTV App: You can easily add or remove channels using the ‘Edit Pack’ option under ‘Packs and Channels’.
5 Secrets from Experts to Cut Your Monthly TV Bill in Half
To keep your TV recharge costs in check, simply deleting channels isn’t enough; it’s also important to adopt some smart strategies: