TRAI issues guidelines for mobile TV
Broadcast regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has proposed allowing 74 per cent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in mobile television services and favoured bidding for allocation of licences for this service. It also fixed the tenure of the licence for 10 years.
According to TRAI, the telecom firms need not seek a fresh licence for starting mobile TV services on their own network. However, providing mobile television services through the broadcasting method will require a separate licence. The license fee should be charged at 4 % of Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) for each year or 10 % of the reserve one time entry fee limit for the concerned license area, whichever is higher, TRAI said in its recommendations to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
The recommendations sent to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting also said the choice of broadcasting technology should be left to the service provider with the condition that the technology to be deployed for providing mobile TV should follow a standard approved by a recognised standardisation body. In case the handset is provided by the licensee, it should be ensured that if the subscribers desire to migrate to any other licensee using the same technology and standards, they should be able to do so without changing the handsets.
The recommendations said about the criteria for the licencing process is minimum net worth requirements of Rs 40 crore for satellite-based mobile television licences and Rs 3 crore for each service area in terrestrial mobile television licenses should be laid down for being eligible to participate in the licencing process. The tenure of both terrestrial and satellite licences should be for 10 years.TRAI further suggested that no mobile TV licence would allow any broadcasting company to hold more than 20% of the total paid equity at any time during the licence period.
Mobile television allows the consumers to watch live as well as pre-recorded television content on a mobile handset using a specialised mobile television broadcasting technology. Currently, only video clips can be downloaded on mobile handsets. Mobile TV services are currently available in parts of Europe, US, South-East Asia and Japan among other developed countries. After winning the licence, each mobile TV operator can offer about 15 video channels through the terrestrial broadcast route. TRAI said that private operators should be assigned at least one slot of 8 MHz each for mobile TV operation using terrestrial systems.
Tags: broadcasting, FDI, guidelines, mobile tv, Trai