Telecoms operators who wish to provide television over internet in India will have to pay between 6% and 10% of their adjusted gross revenue as license fees, depending on the telecom zone they operate in, the telecoms regulator, quoted by a Reuters report, said.
The Reuters report said telecoms firms, cable operators and some internet service providers are permitted to provide internet protocol television (IPTV) in India, according to the The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai).
Top telecoms firms like Bharti Airtel and Reliance Communications have outlined plans for such services.
TheTrai did not recommend any changes in the existing cap on foreign investment for providers, the report said. Indian rules allow up to 74% of foreign holdings in telecoms firms and a maximum of 49% in cable operators.
Broadcasters should be permitted to provide television signals to all distributors of the channels, Trai said.
The report also said current regulations say broadcasters can provide equipment to decode the signals only to cable operators or operators of multiple cable television systems.
Telecoms firms will be allowed to transmit only those news television channels that have been approved by the ministry for broadcasting, the regulator recommended. They must transmit television channels in the same form as allowed by the government for up-linking or down-linking, it added.
The firms must adhere to the country's program and advertisement codes if they transmit any content other then television channels, Trai said.