Multiple petitions against TRAI tariff order to be heard by TDSAT early next week

The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) will be hearing petitions by multi-system operators (MSOs) Digicable Networks (India), Delhi Distribution Company, United Cable Operator’s Welfare Association which have challenged the digital tariff order of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

The notice from the TDSAT was issued to TRAI and the Union of India on 2 July itself, it was told the reply by the regulator was filed in early August only and the Chairperson Justice S B Sinha and member P K Rastogi had decided to hear the issue on 24 August. However, the issue could not be taken up. TDSAT has decided to hear the matter next week since the digitisation deadline cannot be extended anymore.

It will also be hearing a petition by IndusInd Media and Communications Ltd (IMCL), and the other parties would be NDTV, Time Global (holding company of Times Now), India TV, TV Today, Total TV, and News Broadcaster's Association (NBA), Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), and other broadcasters in this regard.

The regulator’s new revenue sharing mechanism has been opposed by Digicable. The Digicable says TRAI’s tariff order is "unjust, unfair, unreasonable, arbitrary, irrational, and discriminatory" and it favours the broadcasters.

The TRAI tariff order asks the revenue from the subscription of paid channels or bouquet of paid channels to be shared in ratio of 65:35 between MSO and the local cable operator (LCO).

Source: http://cablequest.org/news/cable-news/item/305-multiple-petitions-against-trai-tariff-order-to-be-heard-by-tdsat-early-next-week.html
Source: http://cablequest.org/news/cable-news/item/305-multiple-petitions-against-trai-tariff-order-to-be-heard-by-tdsat-early-next-week.html