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Tag: Trai

  • TRAI to get another Advisor in Technical

    TRAI to get another Advisor in Technical

    NEW DELHI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has decided to recruit more persons who are experts in Technical.

    The regulator has advised for the post of Advisor (Technical) ‘on deputation on foreign service terms‘. According to the TRAI website, the initial deputation will be for two years.

    The work entails to the technical aspects of broadcasting – Network, spectrum and licensing division and technology development division as well.

    TRAI had been set up for the telecom sector in 1997 but was given the work of broadcasting in 2004 at the time of the introduction of the Conditional Access System.

  • TRAI to get another advisor in Broadcasting and Media

    TRAI to get another advisor in Broadcasting and Media

    NEW DELHI: Often accused of being more telecom-centric, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has decided to recruit more persons who are experts in broadcasting and media.

    The regulator has advertised for the post of Advisor (Broadcasting and Media) ‘on deputation on foreign service terms’. According to the TRAI website, the initial deputation will be for two years.

    TRAI already has one Principal Advisor,N Parameswaran, and two Advisors, Wasi Ahmed and Raj Kumar Upadhyay.

    The work entails to the non-technical aspects of broadcasting – covering general management, economic and social dimensions of all forms of the media. Economic work relating to wholesale and retail tariffs and interconnection will form part of the work of the new Advisor.

    The work will also entail specialisation in the digitisation of the media and interaction with all stakeholders.

    TRAI had been set up for the telecom sector in 1997 but was given the work of broadcasting in 2004 at the time of the introduction of the Conditional Access System.

  • Time extended for comments on draft amendments to the Interconnection Regulations and Tariff Order

    Time extended for comments on draft amendments to the Interconnection Regulations and Tariff Order

    NEW DELHI: Stakeholders have been asked by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to file by 3 July their comments on interconnect regulations and tariff order under the digital addressable system.

    TRAI has also said no request for any further extension of time for submission of comments will be entertained.

    The “Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable Services) Interconnection (Digital Addressable Cable Television Systems) (Second Amendment) Regulations, 2013” and the draft “Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services (Fourth) (Addressable Systems) Tariff (Second Amendment) Order 2013” seek to amend some regulations that TRAI had passed earlier in relation to tariffs and interconnect agreements in earlier years. (Earlier, TRAI had notified the Interconnection Regulations for DAS dated 30 April 2012 as amended on 14 May last year and the Tariff Order applicable for the Addressable Systems dated 21 July 2010 as amended on 30 April last year).

    The amendments it has proposed state:

    Multi system operators (MSOs) cannot seeks signals of a particular TV channel from a broadcaster under ‘must provide‘ clause while at the same time demanding carriage fee for carrying that channel on its distribution platform.

    No minimum channel carrying capacity has been prescribed for the MSOs. However, the MSOs are mandated to carry the channels of broadcasters on non-discriminatory basis under the ‘must carry‘ provision.

    The service providers of the addressable systems are allowed to price and package their offering of channels, however, they are required to comply with the modified twin conditions, as proposed in the draft amendment to the tariff order. These twin conditions are (a) the a-la-carte rate of a pay channel forming part of a bouquet shall not exceed two times the a-la carte rate of the channel offered by the broadcaster at wholesale rates for addressable systems (b) the a-la-carte rate of a pay channel forming part of a bouquet shall not exceed three times the ascribed value of the pay channel in the bouquet. The TRAI says it is doing this to ensure that the a-la-carte rates offered to the subscribers are reasonable vis-? -vis the bouquet/package rates.

    As in the case of pay channels, operators can specify a minimum subscription period, not exceeding three months, for Free-to-Air (FTA) channels subscribed on a-la-carte basis by the subscribers.

    Subscribers are free to choose channels on a-la-carte basis or bouquet/package basis or any combination of a-la-carte and bouquet/package.

    Channels, such as HD or 3D, requiring special type of set top boxes are to be offered on a-la-carte basis and if such channels are also offered as a part of a bouquet(s), corresponding to each such bouquet, the operator would be required to offer bouquet(s) excluding the HD and 3D channels, at a reduced price, commensurate to the rates of these HD and 3D channels.

    Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable Services) Interconnection (Digital Addressable Cable Television Systems) (Second Amendment) Regulations, 2013

    Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services (Fourth) (Addressable Systems) Tariff (Second Amendment) Order 2013

  • CAF submissions: Delhi cable TV subscribers get 15-day extension

    CAF submissions: Delhi cable TV subscribers get 15-day extension

    NEW DELHI: Apparently, cable TV subscribers in Delhii called the TRAI‘s and the MSOs‘ bluff and won. After consistently stating that the last date for submitting consumer application forms (CAFs) or channel selection forms (CSFs) to cable TV operators was 25 June, the telecom regulator gave them more time to submit their forms in Delhi.

    TRAI today announced that the last date has been extended to 10 July, but warned that there would be no further extension. Yesterday, MSOs had stated that the process of CAF collection was proceeding smoothly and that they were going to comply with the TRAI‘s orders and disconnect errant subscribers after today (Read: Indiantelevision.com‘s CAF story MSOs say that cable TV customer response positive for CAFs). Today, however, a delegation of them went and moved TRAI to extend the deadline primairly for Delhi..

    The telco regulator noted that though there had been a ‘tangible’ increase in the number of people who had filled the CAF forms, there were still a large number of cable operators and multi-system operators who had informed TRAI that they did not have the full details of their consumers yet.

    Consumers have been asked by TRAI to cooperate in every way to ensure that CAF are complete in every manner.

    However, it was made clear that no further extension would be given and the MSOs would have no option but to disconnect the signals to consumers who fail to give the forms in time.

    Meanwhile, TRAI has launched an SMS service to reach out to consumers about the importance of CAF, even as major channels have jointly launched a television commercial featuring the lead actresses from popular series.

  • TRAI extends date for comments on consultation paper on monopoly/market dominance in Cable TV Services

    TRAI extends date for comments on consultation paper on monopoly/market dominance in Cable TV Services

    NEW DELHI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) today extended till 1 July the date for comments on its consultation paper on Monopoly/Market Dominance in Cable TV services issued on 3 June.

    At the request of stakeholders, TRAI also announced that counter-comments would be received by 8 July.

    The paper was aimed at wanting to know if stakeholders agree that the State should be the relevant market for measuring market power in the cable TV sector or suggest alternatives.

    In the first place, TRAI which said it had issued the paper at the instance of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, wanted to know if stakeholders agree that there is a need to address the issue of monopoly/market dominance in cable TV distribution and how the ill effects of monopoly/market dominance can be addressed.

    The paper contains a series of fifteen questions touching various aspects.

    TRAI has sought to know whether, to curb market dominance and monopolistic trends, restrictions in the relevant cable TV market should be based on area of operation or based on market share.

    Those who feel it should be based on area of operation will have to specify how the area of a relevant market ought to be divided amongst MSOs for providing cable TV service.

    Those who feel it should be based on market share, what should be the threshold value of market share beyond which an MSO is not allowed to build market share on its own. Furthermore, how this can be achieved in markets where an MSO already possesses market share beyond the threshold value. Furthermore, TRAI wants comments on the suitability of the rules defined in the paper in this connection.

    Stakeholders have to give their views about the threshold values increase indicated by the regulator, or suggest defining restrictions.

    TRAI wants to know if ‘control’ of an entity over other MSOs/LCOs be decided according to the conditions mentioned in the paper or suggestion on alternatives.

    Stakeholders wanting different restrictions to curb market dominance have been asked to suggest these.

    TRAI has also sought to know whether the parameters listed by it in the paper are adequate with respect to mandatory disclosures for effective monitoring and compliance of restrictions on market dominance in Cable TV sector, and the periodicity of such disclosures.

    The regulator wants to know of any amendments to be made in the statutory rules/executive orders for implementing the restrictions.

  • TRAI warns Delhi cable TV customers to speed up on CAF

    TRAI warns Delhi cable TV customers to speed up on CAF

    MUMBAI: The Telecom Authority of India (TRAI) has raised concerns about the slow pace of collection of consumer application forms (CAF) by multi system operators (MSOs) in New Delhi. On 7 June, it had cautioned and warned consumers and cable TV operators/MSOs to get a move on the CAFs, giving 25 June as the deadline, after which the consumers would face the penalty of disconnection.

    TRAI says that despite that warning only 50 per cent of consumers in Delhi have submitted details and choice of channels to cable operators and MSOs until 21 June.

    It says the Digital Addressable Cable TV System Regulations 2012 mandate that CAFs have to be first collected before the activation of set top boxes and transmission of digital signals.

    Come 25 June the cable TV remotes may no longer function in Delhi if the customer forms are not submitted – warns TRAI

    It has therefore once again warned MSOs and cable TV operators that they would have to perforce switch off subscribers who do not send in their CAFs by 25 June 2013 or they “will be in breach of law.”

    Says the TRAI: “We have been issuing public notices on this from time to time to sensitise consumers that they have to submit their CAFs. Broadcasters and the cable TV service providers have also been running scrolls and video programmes on major news and entertainment TV channels for the last few months. The authority has reviewed the progress and observed that even though there has been an increase in the number of subscribers who have provided their details, still there is pendency in respect to the availability of complete consumer details with the cable operators/MSOs.”

  • TRAI extends last date for comments on interconnect agreement draft order

    TRAI extends last date for comments on interconnect agreement draft order

    MUMBAI: For all those in the cable and satellite TV industry, you can take a breather. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) which had issued the draft digital addressable system (DAS) interconnect agreement regulations on 5 June 2013 has extended the last date that they can send their comments.

    At the time of issuing the order, the last date was 18 June 2013, that is today. Under the extension, industry stakeholders can send their written comments in by 26 June 2013.

    The Draft Interconnection agreement for DAS seeks to do away with carriage fees under the must-provide clause, forces MSOs to telecast channels under the must carry provision; compliance of MSOs with the twin conditions as specified in the earlier versions of the same order.

  • TRAI reduces roaming charges for calls and SMSs

    TRAI reduces roaming charges for calls and SMSs

    MUMBAI: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Monday announced reducing the national mobile phone roaming charges. The regulator said there would be no free national roaming as of now, but it had come out with conditional free national roaming plans to bring down cellphone roaming charges, reports said.

    “TRAI has reduced ceilings for national roaming calls and SMS and instituted a new regime for providing flexibility to telecom service providers to customise tariffs for national roamers through STVs (Special Tariff Vouchers) and Combo Vouchers,” the regulator said.

    It has also mandated two types of free national roaming plans to be provided by all telecom service providers. These changes will come into effect from 1 July 2013, it said.

    “Mandating a fully free roaming regime is simply not practicable at this juncture. Compelling a transition to a fully free national roaming regime would result in telecom service providers not being able to recover their costs from roamers,” the regulator said.

    In turn, telecom service providers would pass these costs on to all consumers (predominantly non-roamers) through higher tariffs, it added.

    In 2007, TRAI had prescribed the ceiling tariffs of Rs 1.40 per minute for outgoing local calls and Rs 2.40 per minute for outgoing STD calls while on national roaming. These ceilings were reduced to Rs 1 per minute and Rs 1.50 per minute respectively, it said.

    Similarly, the ceiling tariffs for incoming calls while on national roaming have been reduced from Rs 1.75 per minute to Rs 0.75 per minute, it said.

    Tariffs for outgoing SMS while on national roaming, which were earlier under moderation, have now been capped outgoing SMS (local) at Rs 1 per SMS and outgoing SMS (STD) at Rs 1.50 per SMS. Incoming SMS will remain free of charge, TRAI said.

  • MSOs to crack the whip on LCOs on customer forms issue

    MSOs to crack the whip on LCOs on customer forms issue

    MUMBAI: India‘s multisystem operators (MSOs) got a dressing down yesterday from TRAI boss Rahul Khullar about the lack of KYC or CRF forms giving details about their subscribers. Khullar ordered them to get their acts together, giving a deadline of 30 June 2013 for the forms to come in, failing which they would be prosecuted.

    With the proverbial Damoclean sword hanging over their heads, they have decided to fall in line.

    Says DEN Networks CEO S.N. Sharma: “We are all working together, to follow the directions given by TRAI. We are already in the process of collecting customer data and are positive that we will be able to meet the 30 June deadline.”

    According to sources, the four MSOs got together post the TRAI meeting and have agreed to act in coordination with each other. The idea is to switch off all the set top boxes for which the MSOs don‘t have the customer details. The switch-off will be done area wise and hopefully this will force local cable operators to share the forms with MSOs. The latter have also agreed to not allow cable TV operators to switch MSOs or play one MSO against the other.

    “Subscribers are bound to suffer during this exercise as they may have given the details to their operator but would have not been forwarded to the MSO. They should contact the MSOs directly to ensure that their details are registered or they can face a switch off,” emphasises InCablenet MD Ravi Mansukhani.

  • TRAI gets tough on MSOs on DAS customer forms

    TRAI gets tough on MSOs on DAS customer forms

    MUMBAI: That TRAI boss Rahul Khullar means business; that he does not mince any words; that he can make you squirm when he wants to is something all – who have been at the receiving end at one time or the other – know. But the heads of India‘s leading MSOs got another taste of that just yesterday, if sources are to be believed.

    Khullar had summoned the heads of Siti Cable, Incable, Hathway, DEN and Digicable to the TRAI headquarter in Delhi. Four of them landed up; Digicable‘s Jagjit Singh Kohli requested to be excused. Hathway‘s Jagdeesh Kumar; Incable‘s Ravi Mansukhani; Siticable‘s Wadhwa and Anil Malhotra, and DEN‘s SN Sharma Sameer and Manchanda landed up in his chamber. They had earlier been pulled up similarly in end-March and had been warned that strict action against them would be taken under the TRAI act.

    But this time it seemed as if Khullar had apparently reached the end of his patience. He did not let them get a word in – even edgewise.

    “I have only 10-15 minutes to talk to you,” he thundered. “Where is the cable TV customer data that I have been demanding from you? It‘s been months since I should have got it; your deadline has long past. Now let me make it very clear to you: I will prosecute each one of you if I don‘t get it.”

    Khullar went on to blast the MSOs further and set the deadline for collection of the DAS Phase I customer forms for Mumbai and Delhi. “You have till 30 June to submit those forms; failing which you can be sure you will be prosecuted under the required laws. DAS and SMS billing have to move ahead,” he urged.

    Khullar apparently has also permitted the MSOs to disconnect local cable TV operators and subscribers who are continuing to play truant in the submission of the KYC (know your customer) forms.

    The government mandated phase I of cable TV digitisation – with the switch-off of analogue TV signals and installation of set top boxes – which covered the cities of Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata was to be completed by 31 October. As part of that process MSOs and cable TV operators were instructed to collect information from their customers and submit the forms to the authorities.

    However, sources indicate that MSOs have been rather tardy in the submission of these forms as local cable TV operators have not been complying with their continuous and repeated requests.