Government To Go Slow On Direct-To-Home Licences

Plans of foreign companies to start a direct-to-home (DTH) television network in India in the near future are likely to run into trouble as the government has decided to go slow on giving permission to those individuals who want to access any DTH network in the country.

The government is also not averse to lease out transponders to private parties in future on Insat series of satellites provided there are spare ones available after various ministries like the information and broadcasting and defense ministrys needs are fulfilled.

Inspired by the information and broadcasting ministrys consistent stand that DTH network cannot be allowed to beam into India unless proper regulatory measures are in place, the department of telecommunication (DoT) has been advised to go slow on the processing of licence forms to access DTH network as and when such requests are made.

 

It is learnt that every licence form will have to be referred to the information and broadcasting ministry by DoT.

In a notification issued in December, DoT made it compulsory for all persons receiving TV signals from satellites above the band width of 4800 MHz to obtain a licence from the department.

The government cannot allow a free reign into India to foreigners and well make sure that DTH licence forms are not processed quickly, especially before proper regulations are introduced, a senior I&B ministry official said.

The I&B ministry official pointed out that persons dragging the government departments concerned with granting DTH licence to court is not worrisome as the government is bound by a Supreme Court verdict on freeing of airwaves and avoiding creation of monopoly in TV broadcasting.

The notification issued by DoT states: No person can establish, maintain or work, or possess, or deal without a licence in any antenna, including dish antenna, satellite decoder and associated front-end convertor capable of receiving such signals in frequency bands above 4800 mhz.