Platform Services offered by DTH Operators

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released its recommendations on Platform Services offered by DTH Operators on November 13, 2019. This was in response to reference from Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) on July 2, 2019, seeking recommendations of TRAI for inclusion of few issues regarding platform services with reference to DTH guidelines.

The salient features of the recommendations are:
The authority reiterates the definition of PS for DTH operators as, platform services (PS) are programs transmitted by distribution platform operators (DPOs) exclusively to their own subscribers and does not include Doordarshan channels and registered TV channels. PS shall not include foreign TV channels that are not registered in India. Reference to the term channel shall be construed as a reference to television channel.

The program transmitted by the DTH operator as a platform service shall be exclusive and the same shall not be permitted to be shared directly or indirectly with any other DPO. Program transmitted by the DTH operator as a platform service shall not directly or indirectly include any registered TV channel or Doordarshan channel or foreign TV channel. Time-shift feed of registered TV channels (such as +1 services) shall not be allowed as a platform service. DTH operator shall ensure and provide an undertaking to the ministry in the format prescribed by the ministry that the program transmitted is exclusive to their platform and not shared directly or indirectly with any other DPO.

In case the same program is found available on the PS of any other DPO, MIB/TRAI may issue direction to immediately stop the transmission of such programme. MIB also reserves the right for cancellation of registration of such PS of the DTH operator. The total number of permitted PS for a DTH operator shall be capped to 3 percent of the total channel carrying capacity of the DTH operator platform and subject to a maximum of 15 platform services channels. A one-time non-refundable registration fee of ~10,000 per PS channel shall be charged from a DTH operator.

The platform services channels shall be categorized under the genre Platform Services in the electronic programmable guide (EPG) subject to orders/directions/regulations issued by TRAI from time- to-time. The respective MRP of the platform service shall be displayed In the EPG against each platform service subject to orders/ directions/regulations issued by TRAI from time-to-time. A provision for putting a caption as Platform Services may be required to distinguish the platform services from the linear channels. Government may decide the caption in a size which is visually readable by the consumers.