TRAI releases new technical framework for broadcasting and cable services

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Friday released an amendment to interconnection regulations of 2017 which provides for a framework for technical compliance of conditional access system (CAS) and subscriber management system (SMS) for the broadcasting and cable sector.

The framework is incorporated as schedule IX in the Interconnection Regulations, 2017. The operationalisation and oversight of the framework shall be carried out throughout a testing and certification agency, which shall be prescribed by the authority later, the regulator said.

The TRAI said the technical framework is the first step to define an indigenous set of specifications in line with international standards, and it is expected to bring several important benefits to the television broadcasting sector as well as the consumers.

A tightly synchronized working of the CAS and SMS, as specified by the framework will enable factual reporting of subscriber base etc., it said.

This will reduce the revenue loss to stakeholders on account of erroneous subscription reporting, the regulator said.

Better assurance of due revenue, in turn, may encourage the stakeholders to invest for further improvement in quality of content and service thereby benefiting the end consumers, it added.

The TRAI said the technical framework will usher in better content security in the distribution value chain.

This, in turn, shall give confidence to the global content developer community and will pave the way for increased availability of better quality, high-definition content to Indian television viewers, it said.

The TRAI said the framework will improve end-to-end compliance and reduce litigations among the service providers.

Sub-standard CAS and SMS also render the distribution network vulnerable to hacking and content piracy, it said.