Social Media this week has been awash with PayTV subscribers complaining about the never-ending subscription price hikes by Multichoice Uganda, the proprietors of DStv and GOtv. Within a space of six months, the company has increased its rates up to 9 percent. But where is the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) the regulator in all this? Are they just looking as these companies drain Ugandans in these tough economic times?
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Uganda ranks the second-most pricey country to watch DStv in Africa – right behind Rwanda. When the new rates kick into effect on April 1st, the Premium package will cost UGX 275,000, up from UGX 255,000. Let’s put this into perspective, Nigerians who subscribe to DStv are charged UGX 106,000 to access channels on the Premium package. In South Africa, Premium costs an equivalent of UGX 171,000, UGX 245,000 in Tanzania, and UGX 258,000 in Kenya. Rwandans are having the raw end of the deal and pay an equivalent of a staggering UGX 385,000. Putting into consideration the different economies and subscriber base, Ugandans still feel that the PayTV firm is taking them for a ride.
There is also the issue of Free to Air (FTA) TV that Ugandans end up paying for even if it’s supposed to be well — Free. The culprits are the usual suspects; DStv, GOtv, and StarTimes. UCC as the regulator needs to step in to ensure that all subscriptions on free-to-air (FTA) content on digital Pay-TV platforms are scrapped.
The major reason why the government introduced the Digital Migration Policy was to make all local TV channels free on all digital, terrestrial, and satellite platforms. This was to ensure that Ugandans have access to all the vital information to ensure that netizens are not deprived of this access.
In a twist, Mr. Muliko Ikanza Julius Paul, of Muliko and Co. Advocates, wants to sue and has put the regulator UCC on notice demanding the government agency to push PayTV firms to ensure that all subscriptions on free-to-air (FTA) content on digital Pay-TV platforms are discarded.
Mr. Muliko’s March 6 notice is “in line with the Access to Information Act and the Digital Migration Policy,” and he believes UCC’s failure to regulate these companies has resulted in many violations of consumer rights of Ugandans according to the Daily Monitor. The city lawyer has given UCC 14 days from the date of receipt of his letter or else seek legal redress against all the illegalities by the service providers. In copy of this notice are the Prime Minister, ICT and National Guidance minister, chairperson of the ICT Committee of Parliament, and the National Association of Broadcasters.
The issue with this notice is that in the digital migration policy or the UCC Act, “free-to-air” does not appear anywhere, which may hurt Mr. Muliko’s case.
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