ITV

Category: TRAI

  • A wrong to correct a wrong

    A wrong to correct a wrong

    MUMBAI: If you look back a few years it was the MSOs who were arm twisting the Broadcasters and carriage subsidies shot up to an estimate of about 1800-2000 crores so it was but obvious that the broadcasters had to resort to some countervailing power and adopted the age old saying of ‘in unity there is strength’ to fight back. Hence, the mergers and partnerships to create the Aggregator now termed the Aggressor!

     

    But the battle here is not between the MSO and the Broadcaster. Unfortunately, both have been caught in a situation and a created one at that. Both are responsible for this situation. The Broadcaster wanted distribution beyond available bandwidth, the MSO but naturally driven by common supply – demand market dynamics fleeced exorbitant carriage fees. To demand higher shares of which he started grabbing more territory. For doing so he gave significant concessions towards the subscription collections. Soon it reached a stage that they began to subsist on this easy money and forgot about the upward flow of subscriptions. So, the broadcasters were giving and getting back their own monies and plus or minus a little depending on the so called legacy of the channels rather than any rationale of popularity. That is where the business model started floundering. It’s not that the subscriber was getting a free view. Sure 20,000 + crore was getting collected and of course most of it in cash.

     

    So, where did all this money go? And why are both the Broadcasters and MSOs bleeding. One has to examine the value chain and leakages in the upward flow. The interface to the customer is the LCO/LMO the one who is making the collections. A reasonable share of this will need to flow upward to the broadcasters. Content too with all the competition is only getting more expensive especially with international formats and Bollywood hosts.

     

    How much should be a fair share is secondary. First, one needs to ensure that there actually is a streamlined reverse flow. The bottlenecks and leakages lie in the value chain and systems created by both the MSO and the broadcasters. In addition to the MSO in the middle between the LCO/LMO at one end and the Broadcaster at the other end, there are at least three more middlemen in the current system that prevails. The agent aggregator, their dealers and the distributor/JV partner of the MSOs. The money the consumer pays goes through five hands before what’s left will eventually reach the broadcaster. Obviously there are not one but two too many middlemen and this is where the ecosystem needs change.

     

    Now in all of this, how’s the consumer or subscriber faring? We are the cheapest cable market in the world and honestly without an iota of debate our consumers have been spoilt. For three to five dollars a month subscription, we get the most premium of content. (Given the way our rupee is depreciating we’ll soon be down to $2 subscriptions!) And for that an abundance of choice with half a dozen channels per genre. Live sports of pretty much every event around the world and movies within two months of theatrical release.

     

    Wow! Even if the Govt. is floundering in providing Roti, Kapda aur Makaan nobody is complaining about the 4th essential – Entertainment. Sure everyone’s complaining about the cost of electricity and fuel and multiple taxes but no one’s saying cut off my cable!

     

    Fortunately, we are also the 2nd largest cable and satellite market in the world and so can provide affordable entertainment and the best there is to offer. There’s enough to go around for legitimate stake holders we just need to get the business model right. Imbalances will correct themselves over time.

     

    As to the regulator and regulation, digital addressable system (DAS) is great, but for now let’s just focus on getting the boxes. Let it just be an exercise in technological evolution. Enjoy the digital experience and abundance of choice. We are a privileged lot. Trying to introduce addressability and ‘pay for what you want’ is only going to increase the consumer’s monthly outflow or severely restrict choice. When DAS gets to that stage of choosing and billing, it is not going to be a populist regulation.

     

    So Mr Khullar Sir, the aggregator has been disarmed (agent regulation), the MSO reigned in (max 50 per cent of state control) and the broadcaster chastised (12-minute ad cap). The LCO is still trying to figure out how by merely putting a box, the MSO claims the home whereas he’s the guy who has been upgrading the cables and amplifiers for over two decades. Let’s not add a confused customer to this. He’s happy leave him alone for now. Let the market dynamics come into play and let it all settle for a while. Average Revenue Per User (ARPUs) will increase but not at the cost of denying the consumer what he is already used to. Niche content, value added services and TV on the go are new revenue streams and customers will be willing to pay more for these. Affordable internet access is the key to this next phase of growth wherein traditional media and what we call new media need to converge. What will certainly be interesting is to see who will be the players here to emerge.

     

    (The author is a media observor and consultant, and the views expressed are his own.)

  • TRAI’s toothless content aggregator regulations

    TRAI’s toothless content aggregator regulations

    The Telecom Regulaotry Auhtority of India  (TRAI) was right in both identifying and bringing in new regulation in an attempt to curb content aggregator aggression (read: broadcaster aggression). However, the restrictions are very minimal and on the face of it, they don’t seem to have too much teeth. Aggregators can get renamed as Agents but will TRAI’s effort at redoing and notifying regulations for them really act as an agent of change?

     

    There is no restriction on the ownership of agent companies or how many broadcasters they can represent. (Will need to be addressed in issue of cross media.) Broadcasters belonging to the same group can bundle channels. For the immediate future it is more likely to lead to a futile exercise in splitting existing contracts and  and overtime and consulting fees for the guys in black suits (read: lawyers).

     

    Already agreed terms including carrying weak channels and desired packages are the tradeoffs by which the DPOs negotiate to their advantage, so contrary to TRAI’s belief that they add to unwanted costs, they actually subsidize the DPOs costs – whether for carriage, packaging or for a preferred LCN.

     

    Restricting multi-broadcaster packages is not important. What is important are the DPO’s packages which are what subscribers eventually subscribe to. As mentioned, these are negotiation tradeoffs.

     

    In any case most of the channel pricing and bouquets evolved arbitrarily at a time when there were already existing TRAI restrictions on a-la-carte, bouquets, price freeze on existing channels etc and very often broadcasters introduced highly priced new channels to offset the freeze on existing channels pricing. Even internal allocations between various broadcasters within an aggregator skewed rationale on pricing.

     

    The new regulations have not addressed many potent issues which have been plaguing the business and continue to beg solutions. For starters, let us understand that the entity signing the RIO is of little consequence to the consumer.  Where are the guidelines for DPOs to price to consumers? Should the retail pricing be determined by the DPO or Broadcaster and who should communicate this to the consumer?  Same goes for the packages. Is the DPO the real content aggregator buying in wholesale and then retailing to consumers or is he merely offering his delivery infrastructure and payment gateway for a commission?  What is the business model TRAI envisages? Is it going to continue as a B2B or should there be complete transparency to consumer in a B2C approach? 

     

    Third party channels within aggregator/agent will be most likely impacted. The Stars and Zees are big enough bouquets by themselves, same goes for the TV18/Viacom18 group channels. (Presuming 50 per cent ownership qualifies to label a broadcaster a Group Company!). Yes, Sony and Discovery channels on paper need to be split but their distribution venture has survived many long years and they can resolve any internal issues without upsetting present equations.

     

    The onus is now on the various DPOs – whether DTH or MSO – to leverage the only real advantage and actually negotiate separately for each of the various broadcasters’ bouquets. Some positive effect of this is likely but it would take a while for the dynamics of negotiations to change. For now it will more likely be just a paper tiger.

     

    All of this makes sense only if the end objective of DAS is achieved: which is individual consumer choice and billing. For now it seems to be stuck in a farcical CAF exercise. No one has really asked the consumer if he is happy paying his 150-200 bucks (ARPU) and wants to continue having his unlimited thali and buffet! And if one were to do the maths on this basis for current pay TV homes and allocate say 40 per cent to content- well, everyone’s happy!

     

    (The author is a media observor and consultant, and the views expressed are his own.)

  • TRAI’s lifeline for content aggregators

    TRAI’s lifeline for content aggregators

    The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s  latest notification of regulations for content aggregators has attempted to curb their muscling power, even as it has allowed them to continue as agents carrying out the same function.

     

    TRAI on Monday notified amendments to its regulations barring content aggregators from bundling of channels belonging to different broadcaster groups and mandated broadcasters to themselves sign Reference Interconnect Offers (RIOs) with Distribution Platform Operators (DPOs). The broadcasters have, however, been allowed to appoint authorised agents to market their bouquets, which could be the existing aggregators.

     

    The amended regulations change the status of content aggregators from entities that aggregated television channels and marketed them in bundled packages to television distribution platforms to that of agents of broadcasters.

     

    But the role of content aggregators may not change radically. Content aggregators as agents of broadcasters might still be able to perpetuate their dominance, though in a slightly diluted form.

     

    The concerns flagged by TRAI vis-?-vis the business of content aggregation were:

     

    a. Top three content aggregators – MediaPro Enterprise India, IndiaCast UTV Media Distribution, MSM Discovery – controlled 58.6% of the total pay TV market.

    b. Content aggregators forced all-channel bouquets on the DPOs, validated by the fact that even though the largest bouquets offered by the aggregators in their RIOs are in the range of 13 to 20 channels, the agreements entered into are for a package of channels consisting of almost all the channels they are authorised to distribute.

    c. Content aggregators grossly discriminated against independent DPOs, charging 62 per cent to 85% more than DPOs which are established by broadcasting groups.

     

    The outcome of the amendments to the TRAI regulations could be the following:

     

    a. End of the era of clout wherein aggregators used to bundle channels of various broadcaster groups into  package cluster and thrust them down the DPOs throats.

    b. Making it obligatory for broadcasters to publish RIOs will result in relative transparency of pricing of channels.

    c. The margin of discrimination against independent DPOs may substantially get narrowed.

    d. The existence of content aggregators gets erased from the regulatory point of view. The regulations make the broadcasters responsible for the actions of content aggregators, now described as authorised agents of broadcasters.

     

    The issues the amendments have not addressed:

     

    a. By allowing channels from broadcasters within a corporate group to be packaged, the TRAI has allowed weak channels to piggyback on highly dominant  and popular channels. This could lead to problem and conflict in future when these networks swell as they add more and channels.

    b. Agents have been allowed to sell channels of different broadcaster groups though as separate bouquets. This does not completely eliminate the bargaining power of agents. They can bargain with DPOs for weak bouquets in exchange for a supposedly more favourable deal on dominant bouquets.

    c. Though TRAI made a mention of the undue advantage enjoyed by content aggregators owned by broadcasters, it stopped short of clamping down on the cross-holding norms for them, meaning it has continued to allow different broadcast networks to own a distribution agent.

    d. Independent DPOs will still be discriminated against, though the scale of bias against them is expected to significantly narrow.

     

    The amended regulations may have shaken up content aggregators. For the past six months, executives working in these companies were filled with trepidation that they would be forced to shut down their operations. But by allowing them to continue as agents, the TRAI has offered them a lifeline.

  • TRAI says 44% of DTH subscribers inactive

    TRAI says 44% of DTH subscribers inactive

    MUMBAI: Direct-to-home television service providers appear to be having a tough time retaining their subscribers. A large portion of their registered subscribers are inactive.

     

    Of the total registered subscriber base of 60.71 million of the six DTH companies as on 30 September, 2013, the number of active subscribers was just 34.26 million (or 56 per cent), according to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s quarterly report titled ‘The Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicators’.

     

    The DTH subscriber base as on 30 September 2013 was three per cent more than a quarter ago.

     

    The report said the number of internet subscribers (excluding internet access by mobile devices) has increased 1.38 per cent  from 21.89 million at the end of June 2013 to 22.19 million at the end of September 2013.

     

    The number of broadband subscribers has also risen. The figure went up from 15.20 million in June to 15.35 million in September, thus registering a quarterly growth of 0.99 per cent and year-on-year (y-o-y) growth of 4.52 per cent. That apart, the number of narrowband subscribers (except internet access by mobile devices) increased from 6.69 million to 6.84 million, registering a quarterly growth of 2.25 per cent from a quarter ago.

     

    The report also mentions that the number of private satellite TV channels as permitted by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry is 784, of which 187 are pay channels. The maximum number of TV channels (Pay, FTA and Local) being carried by any of the reported Multi System Operators (MSOs) is 218 whereas in the conventional analogue form, maximum number of channels being carried by any of the reported MSOs is 100 channels.

     

    As per the report, the number of telephone subscribers has decreased from 903.09 million at the end of June 2013 to 899.86 million at the end of September 2013, thus registering a negative growth of 0.36 per cent over the previous quarter. “This reflects y-o-y negative growth of 4.03 per cent over the same quarter last year,” states the TRAI report.

     

    The report also highlights a net decline of 2.78 million telephone subscribers during the quarter. “The total wireless (GSM + CDMA) subscriber base has decreased from 873.36 million to 870.58 million, registering a negative growth rate of 0.32 per cent over the previous quarter. The y-o-y negative growth rate of wireless subscribers for September is 3.97 per cent,” says the report.

     

     The number of subscribers who accessed internet using a mobile device is 188.20 million during the quarter ending September 2013.

  • TRAI ends aggregation of content from different broadcaster groups

    TRAI ends aggregation of content from different broadcaster groups

    Updated – 08:05pm

    MUMBAI:  Aggregation of television content from various broadcasters will soon be history and content aggregators will be able to act only as agents of broadcasters.

    These are the provisions in the amended regulations notified by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) today.

    The TRAI has barred content aggregators from signing Reference Interconnect Offers (RIOs) with Distribution Platform Operators and said broadcasters themselves will now need to publish the Reference Interconnect Offers (RIOs) and also enter into interconnection agreements with Distribution Platform Operators (DPOs).

    TRAI has now clearly defined the roles of the broadcaster, the channel aggregator and the DPOs which include the multi-system operators.

    Broadcasters have six months to sign RIOs with DPOs themselves and current content aggregators like Media Pro, IndiaCast UTV Media Distribution and One Alliance will only be able to function as agents of broadcasters.

    TRAI has allowed a broadcaster to appoint an agent for signing the RIOs, but clearly stating that the agent can only act in the name of and on behalf of the broadcaster.

    The regulator in the notification clearly mentions that the appointed agent cannot alter the bouquets as offered in the RIO of the broadcaster and if one agent acts as an authorised agent of multiple broadcasters, individual broadcasters need to ensure that such agents do not bundle channels or bouquets with other broadcasters, TRAI said.

    TRAI has, however, provided relief to broadcaster groups by allowing more than one company belonging to the same group to bundle their channels into packages.

    Broadcasters will have to file amended RIOs and interconnection agreements with the regulator.

    According to TRAI, currently around 239 pay channels (including HD and advertisement-free channels) are offered by 55 pay broadcasters. These channels are distributed by 30 broadcasters/aggregators/ agents of broadcasters.

    “The distribution business of 58.6 per cent of the total pay TV market available today is controlled by the top three aggregators,” the TRAI said, referring to Media Pro, IndiaCast and One Alliance.

    TRAI feels that the bouquets offered by aggregators comprise popular channels of multiple broadcasters they represent. Thus, leaving DPOs with no option, but to subscribe to these bouquets and then push these channels to the consumers to recover costs.

    Analysis of bouquets offered by Aggregators

    “This shows that aggregators are offering bouquets comprising as many as 20 channels of six broadcasters. Another bouquet, comprising 13 channels, has channels drawn from 9 broadcasters,” says TRAI through its published report.

    Explaining further the TRAI paper says, “Media Pro has mostly entered into agreements with MSOs for around 65 channels out of the 76 pay channels it distributes. These MSOs include both smaller independent MSOs as well as MSOs operating at national level. Similarly, IndiaCast and MSM Discovery have mostly entered into agreements for around 30 (out of 36 channels being distributed by it) and 20 channels (out of 28 channels being distributed by it) respectively. This substantiates the allegation of the DPOs that the large aggregators are virtually compelling them to enter into agreements to subscribe to almost all of their channels.”  

    The regulator has also found that majority of the channels distributed by the aggregators belong to broadcaster groups who own or control the aggregator. “90.7 per cent- Media Pro, 58 per cent IndiaCast and 57 per cent- MSMD.” 

    According to the regulator, the rates being charged from non-vertically integrated DPOs are, in some cases, higher by 62 per cent as compared to the vertically integrated DPOs.

    “The situation becomes even worse in the case of relatively smaller non- vertically integrated DPOs in which case the rates charged are higher by about 85 per cent as compared to the vertically integrated DPOs.”

    TRAI feels that the amendment will not only ensure a better spread of popular channels in different bouquets available to the DPOs but would also reduce the number of less popular channels pushed on to such bouquets.

    “Even in case a DPO fails to arrive at an agreement with a particular broadcaster the opportunity of finalising agreements with other popular broadcasters is not lost. Thus, DPOs would be placed in a much better position to carry out their businesses,” TRAI said.

    “The interconnect regulations aim at making available the content to DPOs in a transparent and non-discriminatory manner. For this, it is important that the offerings of the broadcasters are available in the public domain. This is why broadcasters have been mandated to publish an RIO prescribing the technical and commercial terms for making available their TV channels to the DPOs,” it says.

  • TRAI: Phase I and II CAF collection nearing completion

    TRAI: Phase I and II CAF collection nearing completion

    MUMBAI: When the entire process of digitisation started in the country, nobody would have thought it would be such a tough nut to crack and there would be a slippage of so many deadlines. Recently, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) warned the multi-system operators (MSOs) and subscribers in the digital addressable system (DAS) Phase I and II towns that enough was enough and that they had better get going on finishing the task of submitting the Customer Application Forms (CAFs) with two deadlines – on 27 January for 23 cities and on 31 January for eight cities – once again proving elusive.

    The caning seems to have worked well as everything is getting back on track now. A TRAI official informs that the work in the Phase I and II of Digital Addressable System (DAS) is near completion. Cities with 27 January as the deadline – Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara, Faridabad, Mysore, Aurangabad, Nasik, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Pune, Sholapur, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Agra, Allahabad, Ghaziabad, Kanpur, Lucknow, Meerut, Varanasi, Chandigarh and Howrah – have almost been  100 per cent  penetrated with active set top boxes (STBs). Almost 85 per cent work has been done (as of 29 January) in areas with 31 January as the deadline that includes cities such as Patna, Ahmedabad, Ranchi, Bengaluru, Kalyan-Dombivali, Nagpur, Navi Mumbai and Thane.

    MSOs have been given two to three additional days post the deadline to submit their compliance reports to TRAI.

     

    “We are in touch with the MSOs on a daily basis and nearly 99.7 per cent has been completed as per the deadlines. If subscribers have failed to fill the forms, MSOs have cut off connections, saving TRAI’s time and also saving themselves from any action against them,” informs a TRAI official.

    However, Maharashtra Cable Operators Federation (MCOF) president Arvind Prabhoo says that only 70 to 75 per cent work has been completed in the second deadline areas, while in Navi Mumbai hardly 30- 40 per cent work is done.

    A cable operator from Airoli says, “We had got CAF forms in the beginning till about June last year. After that it stopped coming to us.”

     

    But Siti Cable COO Anil Malhotra says that almost 90 per cent work has been completed and the subscribers who fail to fill the forms by tonight will have to face a TV blackout. “Scrolls have already been running to make them aware about it and thus we are sure that we will reach 100 per cent compliance soon,” he remarks.

     

    Hathway Cable and Datacom CEO Jagdish Kumar claims that in these areas Hathway has reached near about 100 per cent. “By 27 December, almost 90 per cent work was done, while the rest had to face a disconnection. Few customers came back to fill the forms and others switched to DTH,” he says. In the next eight cities, about 80 per cent of forms have been collected and fed into the system.

     

    Another leading MSO, Den Networks is also claiming to have achieved 100 per cent compliance for the two dates. Says Den Networks CEO S N Sharma, “In these cities we have complied fully and sent the report to TRAI. We have data of all subscribers and for those who haven’t sent them, their cable connections have been cut off.”

     

    A bright day for digitisation doesn’t look far if the above numbers are to be believed. While few exceptions are always there, most of the stakeholders are taking it seriously. And if the MSOs continue at the same pace and work towards achieving the goal diligently, by February, the work for phase III and IV will kick off.

  • Cabinet decides spectrum acquired will be charged at 5% of AGR

    Cabinet decides spectrum acquired will be charged at 5% of AGR

    NEW DELHI: The Union Government has approved that spectrum acquired in the current auction will be charged at five per cent of the AGR.

     

     In cases of combination of existing spectrum in this band and spectrum acquired through the auction, the weighted average will apply to the entire spectrum held by the operator in 900 MHz and 1800 MHz band.

     

    The Cabinet also said the licensees who do not acquire spectrum in this auction shall continue to pay spectrum usage charge (SUC) according to the existing slab rate.

     

    As 800 MHz spectrum is not being auctioned in the forthcoming auction and the recommendation of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has been sought for the reserve price, the decision in respect of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) spectrum will be taken at an appropriate time.

     

    In respect of Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) spectrum acquired through auction in 2010, SUC will continue to be charged, as per present practice, and the operator would be required to report the revenue earned from BWA spectrum separately.

     

    The Cabinet noted that as a matter of policy, it is desirable to move to a flat rate SUC and adoption of a weighted average would provide a path for such transition.

     

    A spokesperson said the decisions are expected to improve the bidding sentiment in the forthcoming auction.

  • TRAI gives final deadlines for filling subscriber details in DAS Phase II cities

    TRAI gives final deadlines for filling subscriber details in DAS Phase II cities

    MUMBAI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) may have once again extended the rope for stakeholders of digitisation but with a warning that they would get no further extension. In a recently issued notice, fresh and “final” deadlines have been given out for entering the subscriber details in the subscriber management system (SMS) in DAS phase II cities.

     

    The regulator has already given two extensions of the deadlines earlier for collecting customer application forms (CAF) and entry of these details in the SMS. However, this comes as a warning from the regulator. It says that 23 cities (Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara, Faridabad, Mysore, Aurangabad, Nasik, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Pune, Sholapur, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Agra, Allahabad, Ghaziabad, Kanpur, Lucknow, Meerut, Varanasi, Chandigarh and Howrah) have completed 90 per cent of the task and the MSOs in these cities have been ordered to cut off signals from 27 January to subscribers who haven’t given their CAFs.

     

    7 February is the last date for Bhopal, Indore and Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh; while Vishakhapatnam and Srinagar have time till 28 February. However, state of Tamil Nadu and Hyderabad city have not been given any date due to litigation processes that are pending regarding DAS.

     

    Eight other cities (Patna, Ahmedabad, Ranchi, Bengaluru, Kalyan-Dombivali, Nagpur, Navi Mumbai and Thane) have been given 31 January as the last date. Subscribers have been requested to cooperate with the process and submit their CAFs, failing which MSOs will have to cut off signals to their TVs or will be in breach of law.

     

    MSOs will have to provide bills with exact breakup of charges and subscribers will have to insist for a bill and receipt or see blackout on their screens.

     

    Click here to read the full notice

  • BARC updates the I&B ministry on its progress

    BARC updates the I&B ministry on its progress

    MUMBAI: The media industry went into a tizzy last week when the union cabinet accepted the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB)’s proposed regulatory framework for television rating agencies in India. 

     

    The most affected from this entire episode is the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) as the pressure is building up on them to speed up the process and bring the new system for TV ratings in to place. 

     

    Hence, BARC board members met the MIB to present an update on the progress made so far. As per a highly placed source, the council members told the Ministry that the pilot testing has already begun. “There will be three-four phases of these testing sessions before the work officially starts.” 

     

    Elaborating the phases, the source remarks: “Firstly, the entire ratings system has to be tested how well the equipments work with the Indian technology and ecosystem. Secondly, we will have to see if all the elements are aligned properly. Thirdly, how accurate is the data collected; and lastly, the overall panel design.” 

     

    Another source reveals that the Ministry has been informed that the council will start signing contracts soon. “BARC is partnering with around six to seven tech organisations to complete the process,” the source claims.

     

    When asked about the Ministry’s reaction on the update, the council’s chairman of the technical committee Shashi Sinha says, “The Ministry is happy with the progress we are making and even we are happy with the way things are shaping up.”

     

    BARC has organised a press conference on 20 January in Mumbai to discuss further progress.

  • TRAI to hold open house on 800 MHz spectrum on 27 Jan

    TRAI to hold open house on 800 MHz spectrum on 27 Jan

    NEWDELHI: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has listed 15 January as the last date for submission of application for the 1800 MHz and 900 MHz under a revised schedule of the auction process.

     

    The DoT has issued the second amendment to the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) for the spectrum auction of 1800 MHz band and 900 MHz band.

     

    Under the amendment, some changes have been made in some parts of clause no 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and annexure 2A. The details of the amendment are available on the website of DoT.

     

    Meanwhile, as per the first amendment to the NIA, the department issued clarifications on the queries raised about the NIA on 2 January which are also available on the DoT website.

     

    The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is to hold an open house discussion on reserve price for auction of spectrum in the 800 MHz band on 27 January in Delhi. The open house will be open to all stakeholders.