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BSNL approaches Trai on regulating TV channel prices for IPTV

Indiantelevision.com Team

(30 April 2008 9:00 pm)

NEW DELHI: State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has approached the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) to request for a reduction of prices at which TV channels are made available to the new technology.

Trai will take up the pricing issue only after the regulatory issues on IPTV are solved, sources said.

Trai, sources confirmed, that they have been approached by BSNL for price fixation, as the sector regulator had done in the case of DTH (direct-to-home) platforms, ordering broadcasters to give channels at half the price they charge cable operators in non Cas (conditional access system) markets.

But officially there was no statement from Trai's division that actually handles the converged technologies.

Trai advisor, convergence technologies, SK Gupta told indiantelevision.com: "We are aware that there is need to look into the price for channels on the emerging IPTV platform. There is an issue, but that will come after the regulatory issues have been frozen. The consultation process for IPTV is on, and let that conclude before we look into the pricing from channels."

The price issue is in Trai's agenda, as IPTV would need some boost, but this will come up much later, Gupta added.

BSNL feels that though it has the largest network for IPTV operations across the country, it is the price broadcasters are charging that is holding back unleashing the full potential of the platform.

Government officials say that BSNL's argument could be only partial in explaining why IPTV is not taking off.

MTNL has launched the IPTV service in Delhi and Mumbai with Aksh Optifibre and IOL Broadband, but customers haven't really taken to the service.