National Broadcasting Policy 2024: TRAI recommends infra status for the sector
In its recommendations for the NBP 2024, TRAI has sought infrastructure status for the broadcasting status. The authority also added that MIB should digitize the process of granting permissions, approvals and clearances under a single window system.
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The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released its recommendations on the formulation of National Broadcasting Policy - 2024, in a document dated June 20, 2024, with the objective to lay down a consistent policy and principles framework. These will enable creation of a vibrant marketplace for content production and distribution, fostering creativity and elevating India’s soft power globally, TRAI said.
In its recommendations, TRAI agreed with comments of Stakeholders who urged to grant ‘Infrastructure Status’ to the broadcasting sector. The Authority said it is also of the view that the broadcasting sector being technology intensive, industry stakeholders continuously invest in newer technologies.
In this regard, TRAI has issued its recommendations on ‘Ease of Doing Business in Telecom and Broadcasting Sector’ dated 2nd May 2023, wherein the Authority recommended the following: ‘The Authority recommends that given the importance of Cable Services sector in expanding television services as-well-as Broadband services, the Government may consider and grant ‘Infrastructure Status’ to ‘Broadcasting and Cable Services Sector’.
Further, TRAI in its recommendations highlighted the fact that an end-to-end single window portal is of utmost importance for ease of doing business. Therefore, all the ministries and departments involved in granting permissions to the service providers of the broadcasting services should be integrated in the online single window system.
The Authority has noted that to encourage ease of doing business in the broadcasting sector, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) had launched the ‘Broadcast Seva’ portal to make the permission/approval processes online and also revamped the portal. However, the inter-ministerial permission process may also be made fully online for making the processes 100% digitized, as an ongoing process. TRAI added that MIB should digitize the process of granting permissions, approvals and clearances under a single window system to create an enabling environment for attracting long-term foreign and domestic investment for the growth of sector.
The Authority's recommended strategies to ensure growth-oriented policy and regulatory framework in the National Broadcasting Policy, emphasize simplifying and digitizing permission process and adoption of growth-oriented rules and regulatory practices. Its recommendations are as follows:
- Processing grant of ‘Infrastructure Status’ to the broadcasting sector for raising capital for investment in newer technologies.
- Simplifying rules for promoting business flexibility, healthy competition and orderly growth of the sector.
- Encouraging ease of doing business in the broadcasting sector by digitizing process of granting permissions, approvals and clearances under a single window system to create an enabling environment for attracting long-term foreign and domestic investment for the growth of sector.
- Streamlining Right of Way (RoW) processes and standardizing RoW charges across all states for laying cables and erecting towers by utilizing a single window clearance and centralized payment system.
- Enabling infrastructure sharing of broadcasting equipment and transport streams among the service providers of the broadcasting and cable television sector and also leveraging the infrastructure of telecom service providers for provision of broadcasting services.
