Telecom Regulatory Authority Of India Issues Draft, Invites Public Comments For Framework Scheduled To Come Into Effect From April 1, 2026

New Delhi: In a bid to rejig the broadcasting and cable distribution industry, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Tuesday issued the draft Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services Interconnection (Addressable Systems) (Seventh Amendment) Regulations, 2025. The telecom industry body has invited public comments on the proposed framework by October 6, 2025. The new regulations are scheduled to come into effect from April 1, 2026.

The draft introduces far-reaching changes to the audit, compliance, and infrastructure-sharing norms that govern the relationship between broadcasters and distributors of television channels.

Earlier, on August 9, 2024, the Authority had issued a consultation paper on the ‘Audit related provisions of Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services Interconnection (Addressable Systems) Regulations, 2017 and the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services Digital Addressable Systems Audit Manual’ to seek stakeholders’ comments.

“Based on the consultation process, a draft amendment to the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services Interconnection (Addressable Systems) Regulations, 2017 has been issued. The objective of this draft regulation is to seek comments of all the stakeholders on the proposed amendments,” stated the Ministry of Communications.

### Key Proposed Changes

One of the major changes is the shift of mandatory audits from a calendar-year cycle to a financial-year basis. Distributors will be required to share the audit report, certified by a TRAI-empanelled auditor or Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Limited (BECIL), with all broadcasters by September 30 each year.

To enhance transparency, the draft mandates that distributors notify broadcasters at least 30 days in advance of the audit schedule and the name of the appointed auditor.

Additionally, the draft strengthens broadcaster oversight to ensure accurate subscriber reporting. Distributors failing to complete audits by the September 30 deadline will continue to face penalties. The draft also proposes clarifying timelines to prevent disputes between stakeholders.

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https://www.freepressjournal.in/business/telecom-regulatory-authority-of-india-issues-draft-invites-public-comments-for-framework-scheduled-to-come-into-effect-from-april-1-2026

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