DRM-based IPTV networks: TRAI seeks industry views

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has come up a consultation paper on proposed amendments to the interconnection regulation 2017. It has amended the regulation to include system requirements for Digital Rights Management (DRM).

The regulating authority has sought written comments on the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services Interconnection (Addressable Systems) (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2022 from the stakeholders by 7 October 2022. Counter-comments, if any, may be submitted by 21 October 2022.

Regulation 15 of the Interconnection Regulations, as amended, inter-alia, reads as under: “15. Audit.— (1) Every distributor of television channels shall, once in a calendar year, cause audit of its subscriber management system, conditional access system and other related systems by an auditor to verify that the monthly subscription reports made available by the distributor to the broadcasters are complete, true and correct, and issue an audit report to this effect to each broadcaster with whom it has entered into an interconnection agreement:

If any distributor fails to cause audit once in a calendar year of its subscriber management system, conditional access system and other related systems, as specified under sub-regulation (1), it shall, without prejudice to the terms and conditions of its license or permission or registration, or the Act or rules or regulations or order made or direction issued thereunder, be liable to pay, by way of financial disincentive, an amount of rupees one thousand per day for default up to thirty days beyond the due date and an additional amount of rupees two thousand per day in case the default continues beyond thirty days from the due date, as the Authority may, by order, direct:

To analyse the issues related to DRM systems, TRAI constituted a committee comprising of industry stakeholders to prepare and submit draft ‘System Requirement for Digital Right Management’. After extensive deliberations, the committee submitted a report on ‘System requirements for Digital Right Management’ to be included in Schedule III of the Interconnection Regulation. TRAI conveys appreciation for the extensive work done by all the committee members.

TRAI, based on the report of the stakeholders’ committee, has prepared the Consultation Paper (CP) which proposes to include ‘System Requirement for Digital Right Management (DRM).

The TRAI has noted that the IPTV service provider has to retransmit linear channels over a closed network to STBs within the premises of subscriber.