New Delhi: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued a consultation paper on the framework for service authorizations for broadcasting services under the Telecommunications Act of 2023. This comes after the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) requested TRAI to provide recommendations on the terms and conditions, including fees or charges, for authorization to provide broadcasting services, a PIB press release stated.
The MIB, in its earlier letter dated July 25, 2024, highlighted that various broadcasting platforms, including DTH, HITS, IPTV, and teleports, are currently issued licenses or permissions under Section 4 of the Indian Telegraph Act of 1885. With the Telecommunications Act of 2023 replacing the existing act, the MIB seeks to align the authorization framework for broadcasting services with the new act.
TRAI has been asked to provide its recommendations on the terms and conditions for authorizations to ensure consistency across various service providers. The authorisations of broadcasting services may be notified as Rules under the 2023 Telecommunications Act.
Stakeholders are invited to submit their comments on the consultation paper by November 20, 2024, and counter-comments by November 27, 2024. The consultation paper is available for review.