Sony extends validity of NTO 1.0 RIO till 31st March
The new RIO filed by the broadcaster on October 15, 2021 will come into effect from April 1, 2022
Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) has extended the validity of the old Reference Interconnect Offer (RIO) dated 1st June 2021 under New Tariff Order (NTO) 1.0 regime to 31st March 2022. The new RIO filed by the broadcaster on 15th October 2021 will come into effect from 1st April 2022.
In November 2021, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had extended the deadline for enforcing NTO 2.0 to 1st April 2022. The regulator had issued an implementation plan for migrating subscribers to the new pricing regime.
As per the implementation plan, the distribution platform operators (DPOs) will have to ensure that subscribers avail of pay-TV service as per NTO 2.0 norms with effect from 1st April 2022. The earlier deadline for implementing NTO 2.0 was 1st December, 2021
"Yes, the new RIO will come into effect from 1st April while the old RIO will continue till 31st March," a source close to the development said.
The broadcaster has uploaded two RIOs on its website. The old RIO is effective only up to March 31, 2022 while the new RIO is effective from April 1, 2022. The RIOs are subject to the final outcome of the Special Leave Petition filed by the company before the Supreme Court.
The major difference between the old and new RIO is the price of popular channels. While Sony Entertainment Television (SET) HD and Sony Sab are priced at below the NTO 1.0 price cap of Rs 19, the same channels are priced above the NTO 2.0 price cap of Rs 12.
