TRAI Releases Consultation Paper On ‘Regulatory Framework For Ground-Based Broadcasters’

New Delhi: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued the Consultation Paper on ‘Regulatory framework for Ground-based Broadcasters’.

The Guidelines issued by MIB from time to time for Uplinking and Down linking of Satellite Television channels in India, containing the terms and conditions for TV broadcasting services, make it mandatory for the broadcasters to use satellite medium i.e. uplinking and down linking of television channels through satellite, for providing their channels to the Distribution Platform Operators (DPOs).

"The advancement of technology has made it feasible for the broadcasters to provide their television channels to DPOs terrestrially also i.e. using ground-based technologies. Like traditional TV channels, which are uplinked and downlinked through satellite, the terrestrially transmitted channels may also be carried on multiple DPO networks simultaneously and the DPOs can retransmit them on commercial terms to the subscribers. Therefore, there is a need to have a regulatory framework enabling use of ground-based technologies," said Ministry of Communications.

TRAI had forwarded its recommendations on Regulatory Framework for Platform Services to MIB on 19.11.2014, which included certain recommendations related to ‘Regulatory framework for Ground-based broadcasters’.

Accordingly, the Consultation Paper on ‘Regulatory framework for Ground-based Broadcasters ‘is being released for seeking comments from stakeholders. The consultation paper may be accessed on TRAI's website, www.trai.gov. Written comments on the consultation paper are invited from the stakeholders by 15.11.2024. Counter comments, if any, may be submitted by 29.11.2024. The stakeholders are requested to submit their comments and counter-comments, preferably in electronic form, on the email- IDadvbcs-2@trai.gov.in and jtadv-bcs@trai.gov.in, said Ministry of Communications.