TRAI proposes 20 year authorisation framework for internet TV platforms

MUMBAI: The television set may be connected to the internet, but the rules governing what appears on its screen are now being lined up for a digital-age refresh. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has recommended a new authorisation framework for application based linear television distribution services, bringing platforms that aggregate and stream scheduled TV channels over the internet into a proposed regulatory structure.

The recommendations, released on 26 October 2026, seek to establish a light-touch framework for Application-based Linear Television Distribution (ALTD) services, including Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television (FAST) platforms. The proposal covers services that distribute scheduled television channels through applications pre-installed on connected TVs, downloadable mobile and smart TV apps, websites and other interfaces accessible through internet-enabled devices.

At its core, the framework aims to address what TRAI sees as a gap between conventional television distribution and newer internet-based services that offer a similar linear viewing experience. Cable operators, direct-to-home (DTH) platforms and other established distribution services operate within defined regulatory structures, while application-based services aggregating TV channels have developed through a more varied ecosystem.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) referred the matter to TRAI on 15 December 2025, asking it to examine a regulatory framework for FAST services, with a focus on regulatory parity, content accountability and consumer protection. TRAI issued a consultation paper on 6 April 2026 and received 207 comments and 11 counter-comments from stakeholders. An open house discussion was held on 10 June 2026 before the authority finalised its recommendations.

The proposals are recommendations to the government, rather than a confirmation that the framework is already in force. The MIB would need to notify the relevant rules and establish the authorisation process.

TRAI has recommended introducing ALTD services as a distinct sub-category under Television Channel Distribution Services within the broadcasting authorisation framework under Section 3(1)(a) of the Telecommunications Act, 2023.

The proposed definition covers the aggregation of television channels approved by the Central Government, including internet-native linear television channels, alongside an application provider’s own platform service channels. These services may be distributed over the public internet or other IP-based networks, with or without additional offerings such as on-demand audiovisual content.

The scope is intended to cover entities that develop, deploy and manage applications, websites or similar interfaces to aggregate and distribute linear channels to users in India. However, TRAI has recommended excluding broadcaster-owned applications or websites that distribute only the broadcaster’s own channels or those of its holding or subsidiary companies. Live streams made available through social media intermediaries would also remain outside the proposed ALTD framework.

The distinction is important because the proposal is aimed at platforms acting as aggregators and distributors of linear television channels, rather than every internet service carrying video content.

One of the central recommendations is a national authorisation regime with an initial validity of 20 years, renewable for successive periods of 10 years.

TRAI has proposed an application processing fee of Rs 10,000 and a one-time, non-refundable entry fee of Rs 1 lakh. A renewal fee of Rs 10,000 has also been recommended. The framework would not require a recurring authorisation fee, bank guarantee or security deposit.

The authority has proposed keeping the financial requirements relatively light to encourage wider participation and innovation in a business that does not require the extensive physical infrastructure associated with conventional television distribution networks.

The proposed terms and conditions would be notified as rules under Section 56 of the Telecommunications Act, 2023. TRAI has also recommended that applications for authorisation, channel registration and compliance reporting be handled through an online portal.

The application provider would be the primary entity responsible for obtaining authorisation from the Central Government and complying with the applicable framework. This places the principal regulatory responsibility on the business operating the ALTD application, rather than leaving accountability fragmented across the various technology and distribution partners involved.

The recommendations extend beyond the application operators themselves. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), including television manufacturers, and operating system (OS) providers would also have responsibilities in ensuring that unauthorised applications are not made available to users.

TRAI has recommended that the MIB maintain and periodically update a central repository, called the ‘Master ALTD app repository’, listing authorised service providers and their applications. The ministry could provide verification mechanisms such as QR codes or application programming interfaces (APIs).

Manufacturers and operating system providers would be expected to enable only applications listed in the repository, on a non-discriminatory basis. Applications operating without the required authorisation, or whose authorisation has been suspended, revoked or invalidated, should be removed or disabled from devices and application stores. OEMs and OS providers would also have to submit annual compliance reports to the ministry.

The proposal could make the authorisation status of applications easier to verify across connected television ecosystems. It also creates a defined compliance role for the companies whose devices and operating systems serve as gateways to internet-based television services.

TRAI has recommended that authorised ALTD providers distribute only television channels that hold the necessary permission, authorisation or registration from the Central Government. Platforms would be responsible for checking channel credentials and removing channels that lack valid approval or whose authorisation has been suspended, revoked or otherwise invalidated.

The recommendations also propose a registration mechanism for ‘internet-native linear television channels’ — channels designed for internet distribution without requiring satellite-based uplinking and downlinking.

These channels would be registered with the MIB under the proposed framework and classified as non-news and current affairs channels. The recommendations provide for a one-time processing fee of Rs 10,000 and an annual registration fee of Rs 1 lakh per channel, with registration valid for 10 years and renewable for a further 10 years on payment of a Rs 10,000 renewal fee.

Applicants would need a distribution agreement with an Indian company for application and compliance purposes. Registered channels would also have to follow the applicable Programme Code, Advertising Code and other conditions prescribed by the government.

For existing broadcasters, the recommendations state that channels permitted for downlinking in India or authorised for satellite or ground-based broadcasting, along with their approved names and logos, should enter into interconnection agreements and provide their signals or feeds only to authorised application providers.

The framework therefore seeks to create a route for internet-native channels while retaining a requirement for regulatory approval or registration before channels are distributed through ALTD applications.

Consumer protection is another key part of the proposed framework. TRAI has recommended that the application provider serve as the primary point of contact for complaints relating to its service. Providers would have to prominently display contact details for grievance redressal officers based in India, making it easier for viewers to find the appropriate channel for raising concerns.

The recommendations also address the measurement of audiences watching linear television through ALTD applications. TRAI has proposed integrating this viewership into the existing television audience measurement framework so that ratings reflect viewing across distribution platforms.

Registered rating agencies would develop the methodology for capturing and reporting viewership on ALTD apps in accordance with the rules, guidelines and regulations issued by the MIB and TRAI once the authorisation framework is finalised. Authorised application providers should also be permitted to publish anonymised periodic viewership data in accordance with the TV Ratings Policy, 2026.

This could help bring internet-based linear viewing into a more comprehensive picture of television audiences, rather than treating it separately from viewing through traditional distribution platforms.

India’s television market already spans cable, DTH, IPTV, HITS and free-to-air services, while internet-enabled devices have created additional ways to access scheduled television. TRAI’s recommendations seek to bring application-based distribution into the wider framework without imposing the same infrastructure-related requirements as conventional distribution networks.

The authority’s report cites industry estimates of more than 193 million television households in India, including cable, DTH, HITS and free TV services and connected TV, alongside more than one billion internet subscribers. Connected TV audiences were estimated at more than 129 million users in 2025, while one industry projection put the FAST user base at nearly 149 million by 2027, up from about 116 million in 2023. The FICCI-EY report cited by TRAI estimated television broadcasting revenue at Rs 617 billion in 2025.

These figures provide context for the growing significance of internet-based television distribution, although they represent different measures of the market and should not be treated as directly comparable.

The recommendations now place the next step with the government, which would need to notify the framework and operationalise authorisation, registration and reporting processes. If adopted, the proposed regime would establish clearer responsibilities for application providers, television manufacturers, operating system companies and channel owners, while creating a formal route for internet-native linear channels.

For viewers, the immediate impact is not a new subscription or a confirmed change in access. The proposals are primarily about how platforms distributing scheduled television over the internet would be authorised, monitored and held accountable. The broader objective is to make sure that as television moves onto more screens and apps, the rules governing its distribution keep pace.