I&B Ministry
Digicable Network among MSOs denied permanent licence, three new MSOs get licence this month
NEW DELHI: While 115 multisystem operators (MSOs) have been granted permanent licence as on 3 September, Digicable Network and Kal Cables are among the prominent MSOs whose licences have been cancelled following refusal of security clearance by the Home Ministry.
However, the Madras High Court has quashed the cancellation of provisional licence of Kal Cables on the ground that the Information and Broadcasting Ministry had not issued any show-cause notice, before cancelling the permit. The court also said that the MSO should be given another chance to respond. The Kalanidhi Maran owned Kal Cables had opposed the 20 August order, saying that it is just a MSO and not a channel. And if the I&B Ministry had issued a notice, it would have cleared the doubts.
The MSO was given a permanent licence to operate in Chennai in June 2012, while a provisional licence was given to operate in DAS notified areas in phase II cities in March 2013.
The licence of Digicable Network India was cancelled on 3 September because of denial of security clearance by the Home Ministry. The MSO had applied on 11 May 2012 for DAS notified area of NCT of Delhi, Municipal Council of Greater Mumbai and Kolkata in phase-I and on 28 January and 6 March last year for 38 cities of phase II.
Siddhi Digital Services of Sholapur was also not given a licence and its ‘case closed as Company is no longer interested in registration.’
The application of Silverline Entertainment of Allahabad for operation in DAS notified areas of Agra, Allahabad, Ghaziabad, Kanpur, Lucknow, Meerut and Varanasi was also cancelled early this month following denial of security clearance by the Home Ministry.
Earlier, MSOs Godfather Communication of Punjab and Intermedia Cable Communication had also got stay orders issued by the Punjab High Court and Delhi High Court respectively on cancellation of their licences.
The MSOs which got permanent licences early this month were Koduri Satyanarayana, Sri Sai Star TV Services for the Khammam district of Telengana; Abhilash Communications of Adilabad for notified areas of phase – II and phase – III cities pan India and JPR channel of Mumbai for Mumbai (phase – I) and phase – II areas in the state of Maharashtra and Gujarat.
I&B Ministry
Digital radio, D2M tech set to reshape broadcasting and public messaging
Govt pushes next-gen delivery while TRAI tightens grip on spam ecosystem
NEW DELHI: India’s broadcasting and telecom landscape is undergoing a quiet but significant upgrade, with digital radio and Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) technologies emerging as powerful tools for mass communication, while regulators step up efforts to tackle spam calls.
According to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, digital radio and D2M are poised to transform how content reaches audiences by making more efficient use of spectrum. In simple terms, multiple channels can now be delivered over a single frequency, opening the door to a wider range of free-to-air content.
D2M technology takes this a step further by enabling video, audio and data to be broadcast directly to mobile handsets without relying on SIM cards or mobile data. The result is a resilient and cost-effective data pipe that can deliver everything from entertainment and education to critical emergency alerts, even in low-connectivity scenarios.
At the same time, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India is tightening its grip on unsolicited commercial communication, better known as spam calls. The regulator has deployed a distributed ledger technology platform to bring transparency and accountability into the system.
Through this blockchain-based setup, consumers can register their preferences on receiving promotional messages, while businesses and telemarketers must also sign up and operate within defined rules. The platform also includes a complaint mechanism that allows users to report spam, with complaints shared across telecom operators for coordinated action.
The government’s broader push is being supported by infrastructure upgrades under the Broadcasting Infrastructure and Network Development scheme. Implemented through Prasar Bharati, the initiative focuses on modernising networks such as Akashvani and Doordarshan, including digitisation and adoption of next-generation broadcast equipment.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting minister of state for information and broadcasting L. Murugan said these steps are part of a larger effort to promote emerging technologies and strengthen the country’s broadcasting backbone. The response came to a query raised by member of Parliament Rao Rajendra Singh.
Together, these developments point to a dual-track strategy: expanding access to reliable, low-cost content while cleaning up the communication ecosystem. As digital pipes get smarter and spam filters sharper, India’s airwaves may soon feel a lot less noisy and far more useful.
