MANU/TRAI/0080/2015

Department/Board : Telecom Regulatory Authority of India

Press Release No. : 62/2015

Date : 03.11.2015

TRAI releases draft Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable Services) Interconnection (Digital Addressable Cable Television Systems) (Sixth Amendment) Regulations, 2015

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) today released the draft Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable Services) Interconnection (Digital Addressable Cable Television Systems) (Sixth Amendment) Regulations, 2015 for comments from stakeholders.

2. It has been observed from the Interconnection details submitted by the service providers that signals of TV channels are being provided by several broadcasters to Multi System Operators (MSOs) and MSOs to Local Cable Operators (LCOs) even in the absence of Interconnection agreement in writing. It has also been observed that continuation of retransmission of signal without valid interconnection agreement, on the pretext of continued mutual negotiations, often results into disputes and sometimes abrupt disconnection which affects the quality of service to the consumers.

3. Another area of concern brought to the notice of the Authority is regarding the effective date of applicability of new agreements i.e whether the new agreement shall apply from the date of entering into the new agreement or it shall apply from the date of expiry of earlier agreement. It not only results in complaints but also disputes between service providers.

4. Therefore, the present regulations which provide scope for mutual negotiations even after expiry of the agreement has been reviewed so that no signal can be provided after expiry of the interconnection agreement between the service providers. Accordingly, it is proposed to amend the regulation 5 of the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable Services) Interconnection (Digital Addressable Cable Television Systems) Regulations 2012.

5. The draft Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable Services) Interconnection (Digital Addressable Cable Television Systems) (Sixth Amendment) Regulations, 2015 has been uploaded on the TRAI website. Stakeholders have been requested to offer their comments / views latest by 20/11/2015. Counter-comments, if any, may be submitted by 27/11/2015. The comments and counter-comments may be sent preferably in electronic form on e-mail to sksinghal@trai.gov.in or smk.chandra@trai.gov.in. For any clarification/ information, Shri S.K.Singhal, Advisor (B&CS), TRAI, may be contacted at Telephone No. +91-11-23221509.

(Sudhir Gupta)
Secretary