Interconnection Framework for All Addressable Systems

Based on the views of the stakeholders and internal analysis of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the basic principles of non-exclusivity, non-discrimination, transparency, level playing field, and fair competition have been retained in the draft regulations.

Features of the draft regulations:

• Must-carry provision for all addressable systems, namely, DTH, HITS, DAS, and IPTV on first-come-first-served basis.
• No carriage fee is to be paid by a broadcaster if the subscription of the channel is more than or equal to 20 percent of the subscriber base.
• The rate of carriage fee has been capped at 20 paisa per channel per subscriber per month. Further, the carriage fee amount will decrease with increase in subscription.
• The distributors of TV channels may offer discounts on the carriage fee rate declared by them not exceeding 35 percent of the rate of the carriage fee declared.
• The interconnection agreements to be signed in accordance with the reference interconnection offer (RIO).
• Broadcaster to offer distributor, a minimum of 20 percent of the maximum retail price of its pay-channels or bouquets of pay-channels as distribution fee. They may also offer discounts on the maximum retail price provided that the sum of discounts and distribution fee in no case shall exceed 35 percent of the maximum retail price, so declared.
• Standard format of application for distributor of television channels for obtaining signals of television channels from broadcaster and standard format of application for a broadcaster for access of network from distributor for re-transmission of a television channels.
• Format of subscription report to be provided by a distributor of television channels to a broadcaster including free-to-air channels.
• Updation in the technical specifications for addressable systems.
• Framework for subscription audit and technical audit.
• Extension of model interconnection agreement (MIA) and standard interconnection agreement (SIA) framework applicable for MSOs to HITS and IPTV operators.