In order to keep pace with the cable and broadcast industry's fast-paced growth, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) today floated a consultation paper on interconnection issues relating to broadcasting and cable services.
The previous interconnection norms for the cable sector were issued nearly 4 years ago when there were about 45 million analogue cable homes as opposed to nearly double of it today of which nearly 10 per cent are digital cable homes that access the cable channels via a set top box.
This Trai paper covers interconnection issues for addressable cable platforms (via set top box), interconnection issues for non-addressable platforms (analogue cable), general interconnection issues as well as those related to registration of interconnection agreements. This is being done by Trai in the backdrop of marked increase in deployment of addressable platforms for distribution of TV channels like IPTV, voluntary CAS and the upcoming head-end in the sky (HITS) and mobile TV services.
In the paper, Trai has raised several issues like need to regulate carriage fees and its various aspects; whether one interconnection norm should govern all form of cable and direct-to-home platforms; whether the regulation should mandate publishing of interconnect agreements for addressable systems instead of interconnect offers among others.
This issue has been raised at the behest of several stakeholders to avoid disputes and litigation that arises as a result of absence of written interconnection agreements between the broadcasters and the cable operators, Trai said.
According to Trai, the addressable platforms for distribution of TV channels reportedly face problems in availing content from the broadcasters. Therefore, the issue of publishing of Reference Interconnect Offers (RIOs) by the broadcasters for all addressable systems has been put up for consultation in the consultation paper.
In the paper, Trai has also sought comments from stakeholder on the need for a regulation of carriage fee charged by distributors of TV channels.
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"Views of stakeholders have been sought on the need to regulate some aspects of carriage fee, such as stability, transparency, predictability and periodicity, as well as the relationship between TAM/TRP ratings and carriage fee," Trai said.
Trai has invited all stakeholders to respond to the issues raised in this consultation paper by January 12.