NEW DELHI: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has recommended mandatory government authorisation for platforms or apps that let people watch TV channels on a smart TV or personal electronic device like mobiles using an application. Stakeholders like original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), operating system (OS) providers and broadcasters will have to ensure only authorised applications on their platform, as per TRAI recommendations on “authorisation framework for application-based linear TV distribution (ALTD) services” released Monday.The regulator has recommended a light-touch authorisation framework for ALTD services, proposing a one-time entry fee of Rs 1 lakh, an application processing fee of Rs 10,000 and an initial authorisation validity of 20 years, while incorporating measures for consumer protection and inclusion of ALTD viewership in TV audience measurement framework.The information and broadcasting ministry had last Dec asked TRAI to examine and recommend a regulatory framework for free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) services “in view of the evolving broadcasting landscape.” Several applications aggregate and distribute scheduled TV channels to consumers, either as pre-installed applications on TV sets and other devices; or as downloadable mobile/smart TV applications; or as web-based applications accessible through web browsers.
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Then TRAI this April issued a consultation paper on the subject and has now finalised its recommendations. These “prescribe an authorisation framework, specifying the terms and conditions governing both the grant of authorisation and the provisioning of ‘ALTD service’…. The recommendations aim to facilitate orderly growth of Internet-based linear television distribution services by providing an enabling authorisation framework,” the ministry of communications said in a statement Monday.
