TRAI extends date for comments on DTH licence to Dec 5

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has extended the last date for receiving comments on a supplementary consultation paper on issues related to new DTH licences t December 5, 2013. The earlier deadline set by TRAI for submitting views and comments was November 25. The regulator has affirmed that no request for further extension of time for submission of comments shall be entertained. Earlier, in response to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) reference to the Authority, dated September 3, 2013, TRAI had issued a consultation paper on issue/ extension of DTH licences on October 1, 2013, seeking comments/ views of the stakeholders. The key issues discussed in the consultation paper pertain to the entry fee, bank guarantee and period of licence. Subsequently, during the consultation process, industry stakeholders requested the Authority that it would be in the interest of the sector that a comprehensive review of the existing DTH licence conditions be taken up. Accordingly, this supplementary consultation paper was released, wherein, amongst others, the issue of ‘control’, licence fee, migration fee and interoperability of DTH set-top-boxes have been discussed.