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MUMBAI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) is seeking industry opinion
on whether Rs 77 (excluding tax) should be the maximum cable operators can charge
monthly from their subscribers for the basic tier services in areas where conditional
access (CAS) is introduced. The draft tariff amendment
order notification, which was released on Thursday, is part of Trai's initiation
to come out with appropriate regulations for interconnection, quality of service,
terms of rental for set-top boxes as well as tariffs. The broadcast and cable
regulator will have to fix the basic service tier rates for CAS."The maximum
amount which a cable operator may demand from a subscriber for receiving the programmes
transmitted in the ‘basic service tier’ provided by such cable operator
shall not exceed Rs 77 per month exclusive of taxes, for a minimum of thirty free-to-air
channels. Free-to-air channels, over and above the basic service tier, would also
be made available to the subscribers within the maximum amount mentioned above,"
Trai said in a statement. In 2003, the government had
fixed a ceiling rate of Rs 72 a month per subscriber for the basic service tier
under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995. The regulator had,
in its tariff order dated 01.10.2004, fixed a general ceiling across the value
chain, both in respect of free-to-air and pay channels, at the levels prevalent
as on 26 December 2003. Subsequently, on 1 December 2004, Trai allowed an increase
of seven per cent in order to make adjustments for inflation, with effect from
1st January, 2005. Another four per cent increase on account of inflation was
allowed by Trai with effect from 1 January 2006, but this increase has been stayed
by the Tdsat (Telecom Disputes Settlement And Appellate Tribunal). The Delhi
High Court recently directed the implementation of CAS in the notified areas of
the three metros of Mumbai, Kolkata and Delhi before 31 December 2006. | 
