TRAI’s insights on uplink and downlink norms

Indian government recently informed that broadcast and telecoms regulator TRAI recommendations on ease of doing business and uplink/downlink norms, some of them radical under consideration. Minister of Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore addressed the parliament  last week without giving any time frame or clarifying whether the regulators suggestions on both the issues would be accepted in totality or they would be tweaked as when legislated into regulations.

TRAI  in its recommendations on uplink and downlink norms, has an idea proposed by MIB that had suggested whether TV channels frequencies too could be auctioned on the lines of FM radio stations. Further, it has also stuck with most of the existing guidelines and norms for uplinks and downlink permission for TV channel and teleports. Therefore, it has suggested to increase annual permission fees from the present levels amongst other changes.

TRAI also mentioned that encryption of broadcast of FTA TV channels was not a good idea. The broadcasting industry and various observers feel that it will help the industry if  Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore’s  team takes a decision on the suggestions made by TRAI.