Asscns concerned over TRAI’s attempt for broadcast services under Telecom Act

News Broadcasting & Digital Association (NBDA), Indian Broadcasting & Digital Foundation (IBDF), and FICCI have raised concerns about TRAI’s consultation paper on the Framework for Service Authorisations, which proposes to bring broadcasting services under the authorization regime of the Telecom Act 2023.

Broadcasting services fundamentally differ from utility-based telecommunication services, considered a scarce public resource. The Supreme Court has consistently held that any media regulation must be narrowly tailored and not create a chilling effect on free speech. The proposed framework risks such an outcome by subjecting broadcasters to a telecommunications-focused licensing regime.
BCS Bureau