[cr-india] Trai initiates draft on satellite radio

[sakthi vel]

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) today
initiated the consultation process on draft satellite
radio policy as proposed by the Ministry of
Information and Broadcasting (I&B). The satellite
radio policy will lay the ground rules for the
companies to operate the satellite radio services in
the country. Currently, there are no regulations for
the satellite radio industry.

Apart from suggesting seperate licensing requirements
for satellite radio service —licence for providing the
satellite radio service for carriage and broadcasting
of channels and licensee to get registration for
satellite radio channels — Trai has also suggested a
74 per cent cap on the foreign investments, in line
with the FDI policy for the telecom sector.

Currently, a 24 per cent FDI cap in the FM radio
sector is being considered against a demand for at
least 26 per cent. The last date for responding to the
satellite radio draft policy is May 26.

The draft satellite radio policy guidelines permit a
satellite radio service provider to hold the licence
for the registration of satellite radio channels also.
Some of the major issues covered in the draft policy
guidelines are eligibility criteria, period of
licence, entry fee and annual licence fee, bank
guarantee, technical standards, monitoring,
inspection, value-added services, terrestrial
repeaters, termination of licence, WPC wing's licence,
among others. 

Trai had initially brought out a consultation paper on
issues relating to satellite radio services way back
in December 2004 and had sent its recommendations in
the matter to the government in June 2005.

But the I&B ministry, while accepting the Trai
recommendations, suggested some modifications because
of which Trai has again initiated the consultation
process.
http://www.business-standard.com/common/storypage_c_online.php?leftnm=10&bKeyFlag=IN&autono=37868

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