TRAI recommends making interoperability of set top boxes mandatory

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Saturday recommended that all DTH and cable set-top-boxes (STBs) provided to the customers support interoperability and urged the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to make it mandatory by introducing the requisite provisions.

Interoperable set-top boxes will allow consumers to change their DTH operator without buying a new set-top box. Presently the STBs deployed in the Cable TV networks are non-interoperable -- the same STB cannot be used interchangeably across different service providers.

TRAI also recommended the mandatory provisioning of a USB port-based common interface for all digital television sets in India.

"All