Trai has stood its ground on band-neutrality for Headend-In-The-Sky (HITS) operators, but has relaxed its stand on uplinking from India.
NEW DELHI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has stood its ground on band-neutrality for Headend-In-The-Sky (HITS) operators, but has relaxed its stand on uplinking from India.
It has also said yes to reducing the minimum net worth requirement for a HITS operator from Rs 40 crore to Rs 10 crore.
A HITS operator encrypts all TV channels at a common facility and uplinks them to a satellite (head-end in the sky).
These are then beamed back to various digital cable head-ends from where they reach the consumer through cable.
So, while direct-to-home (DTH) operators beam the signal directly into the viewers’ premises, HITS players go via cable operators.
ASC Enterprises and Noida Software Technology Park were granted government permission in 2003 to operate HITS.
Last year, Trai has recommended to the information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry that there should not be any transmission band restriction for HITS operators.
But the government had observed that it should be permitted only in the C band. Besides citing weather restrictions in the case of Ku band, the government also fears a clash with DTH if both bands were to be allowed for HITS.
But Trai on Wednesday issued some fresh recommendations, stating that it is of the opinion that “as far as the licensing framework for HITS is concerned, it would be advisable to provide for HITS operations in both the C and the Ku bands. However, Trai has added that the government may go ahead with the C band for HITS rollout.”
The regulator has pointed out that in the long run, it would be desirable to have a band neutral policy. “The policy framework should be of an enabling nature instead of being restrictive.”
Recently, Trai recommended that DTH, which is currently allowed only on Ku band, should be permitted on C band also.
On uplinking, Trai had last year said that the HITS operator should be free to choose the uplinking location. But, the government raised objection to that recommendation, saying it would create security hassles.
To that, Trai said on Wednesday, “The Authority will fully concur with the I&B ministry if the security and other concerns dictate the ministry for restricting it to uplinking from India only.”
While Trai had earlier recommended that Rs 40 crore should be the minimum net worth requirement for a HITS licence, the government wanted it reduced to Rs 10 crore.
Trai has now agreed to go with the government on the issue of net worth.
m_nivedita@dnaindia.net
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