MTNL’s IPTV Runs Into Regulation Trouble?

This borders on being ridiculous. Questions on how IPTV is going to be governed have consistently been raised over the last three months.The government has offered little clarity, and I don’t know what the service providers – MTNL and possibly Airtel – have been upto. The situation today is that IPTV has been launched by MTNL and bookings will be opened shortly, and the TRAI and the Government is now going to sit down and discuss the issue of regulation.
The Times of India reports that IPTV is illegal as per the Cable Televisions Networks (Regulations) Act, and while triple play services are allowed under the United Access Service Licence (UAS), MTNL only has a cable TV licence. TRAI has asked the concerned ministries for their legal opinion.
I think that now that “public funds” have been invested by MTNL, the situation will probably be adquately altered to best suit MTNL’s needs. Which means that either the Cable TV Networks Act will be modified to include IPTV (as reported earlier), or that MTNL will get a UAS Licence at a nominal cost. All of this should have been dealt with before IPTV was launched…
Related:
IPTV To Be Brought Under Cable TV Act
Cable Censorship In India. Is The Internet Next?
No Clarity On IPTV, Mobile TV Regulations

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