MSOs to Display Details for LCOs for Business Ease and to Reduce Disputes

TRAI has requested all MSOs to display details of their nodal officers on their websites and inform the same to their linked LCOs for ease of business and to reduce disputes.

The Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable Services) Interconnection (Digital Addressable Cable Television Systems) Regulations, 2012, require that no multi-system operator shall make available signals of TV channels to any linked local cable operator without entering into a written interconnection agreement.

Further, the regulations also require that each and every transaction between the MSO and its linked LCOs must be in writing.It has been brought to the notice of TRAI that the authorized representatives or nodal persons of MSOs are either inaccessible or issue sometimes handwritten transaction notes to LCOs without any specific authorization and company seal/stamp, which is not in line with regulations in this regard. These practices also give rise to disputes as LCOs are not sure whether the contact person is authorized by the respective MSO or not.

For improving coordination between MSOs and LCOs, all MSOs are directed to declare their nodal officers, who must be easily accessible to LCOs, so that they can interact with each other and resolve their issues in a time-bound manner.