TRAI releases consultation paper on Restructuring of Cable Services

New Delhi, Mar 4 (UNI) Telecom Regulatory Authority of India today issued a consultation paper on "Restructuring of Cable TV Services", which have witnessed phenomenal rise in the past two decades.

The consultations were being started to evolve an appropriate regulatory framework to enable the orderly growth of the sector, TRAI said.

The provisions for registration, information system for monitoring of cable TV industry, customer grievance redressal and quality of service etc need immediate attention.

There is a scope for growth in the cable TV sector in view of new technologies available today. The investment opportunities in the sector have also increased. A supportive regulatory environment will facilitate the constructive growth, it said.

The cable TV transmission in the country is predominantly analogue and limited to provisioning of TV Channels only. Due to technological developments there is a fierce competition to the existing conventional Cable TV operators from operators who use advance distribution technologies like DTH, HITS, IPTV etc. With spread of convergence it is also possible to provide telecom services like broadband and Internet telephony through cable TV networks.

The TRAI consultation paper seeks comments from all stakeholders on the following issues: Change in the regulatory framework to take care of technological advancement, convergence etc. for effective regulation of Cable TV Industry.

Transparency in registration process of cable TV operator, adequate monitoring to ensure better cable TV services and provision of Appellate Authority.

Mechanism for effective consumer grievances redressal; Amendment in the Cable Act/Cable Rules&need for different regulatory framework for MSOs; The stakeholders have been requested to send their comments by April 2.

UNI NAZ AKJ BD1630