Compulsory digital cable TV already in effect: TRAI

New Delhi: Broadcasting regulator TRAI on Thursday said its regulations on compulsory digitisation of cable TV service in four metros have come into effect the day the same was notified in the gazette.

TRAI objected to a statement of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry which said the regulations for Digital Addressable Cable TV Systems (DAS) will take effect from 1 November.

“It is clarified that date of coming into effect of any Regulation/Tariff order of TRAI is as prescribed by TRAI and mentioned in the respective Regulation/Tariff order,” TRAI said in a statement tonight.

It said the tariff order and regulations issued for DAS have come into force from the date of its publication in the gazette.

The statement said the Interconnection Regulations and Tariff Order (Amendment) and the Quality of Service Regulations, Consumer Complaint Redressal Regulations and Interconnection Regulation (amendment) were published in the gazette on 30 April, 2012, and 14 May, 2012 respectively.

In fact, these regulations and tariff order have come into effect prior to the timelines prescribed by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for timely and effective implementation on DAS.

Yesterday, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had postponed the implementation of compulsory digitisation in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai till 31 October.

PTI