The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India ("TRAI") has released comprehensiverecommendations on February 21, 2025, for service authorizations inbroadcasting services. The recommendations have been issued by TRAI on thebasis of a request by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting vide its letterdated July 25, 2024, for aligning certain provisions of pertaining to broadcastingservices in line with the new Telecommunications Act, 2023 ("New Act") (whichhas repealed the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 ("ITA")). The recommendations,which has been discussed and issued pursuant to a public consultation processand an open house discussion which concluded in December 2024, aim tosimplify and harmonize the regulatory framework for various broadcastingservices, including television channel broadcasting, DTH, HITS, radio services,and community radio stations. Key recommendations, inter alia, include: (i)issuance of broadcasting services authorisation under New Act in place of theextant practice of issuing license/permission under Section 4 of the ITA, 1885; (ii)a voluntary migration path for existing licensees under the ITA to the New Act tillthe expiry of their license/permission, (iii) removal of mandatory co-location forradio broadcasting services, (iv) promoting infrastructure sharing amongbroadcasting service providers and telecom service providers on a voluntarybasis, (v) proposed removal of minimum net worth requirement of INR 100 crorefor the Internet Service Providers to provide IPTV Service and proposedalignment of the same with the provisions contained in the authorisation forInternet Services to be issued by DoT; and (vi) MIB to prescribe separateProgramme Code and Advertisement Code for radio broadcasting serviceproviders. TRAI has also recommended that the MIB develop new rules underthe Telecommunications Act, 2023, to implement these guidelines.
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