TRAI regulation 1 of 2021 · 11 Jun 2021
Official title
The Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services Interconnection (Addressable Systems) (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2021
Official record
Open source pageSummary
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has introduced a mandatory testing and certification regime for Conditional Access Systems (CAS) and Subscriber Management Systems (SMS) used by television channel distributors. Distributors must deploy systems that conform to the technical requirements specified in the newly inserted Schedule IX. The Authority will specify the dates and testing procedures by order. Failure to obtain certification within the stipulated timelines will result in financial disincentives, capped at two lakh rupees. Continued non-compliance beyond sixty days may lead to the disconnection of television channel signals. This framework aims to enhance content security, prevent piracy, and ensure accurate subscription reporting across the digital addressable broadcast ecosystem.
What you must do
Key dates
Who is affected
Thresholds
Exceptions
If you do not comply
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TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE GAZETTE OF INDIA, EXTRAORDINARY, PART III, SECTION 4
TELECOM REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF INDIA
NOTIFICATION
New Delhi, 11/06/2021
THE TELECOMMUNICATION (BROADCASTING AND CABLE) SERVICES INTERCONNECTION (ADDRESSABLE SYSTEMS) (THIRD AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 2021 (1 of 2021)
F. No. RG-1/2/(3)/2021-B AND CS(2) ---- In exercise of the powers conferred by section 36, read with sub-clauses (ii), (iii), and (iv) of clause (b) of sub-section (1) of section 11, of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997 (24 of 1997) (hereinafter referred to as “The Act”), read with notification of the Central Government, in the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (Department of Telecommunications), No. 39, —
(a) issued, in exercise of the powers conferred upon the Central Government under clause (d) of sub-section (1) of section 11 and proviso to clause (k) of sub-section (1) of section 2 of the said Act, and
(b) published under notification No. S.O.44 (E) and 45 (E) dated 9th January 2004, in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, —
the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India hereby makes the following regulations to further amend the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services Interconnection (Addressable Systems) Regulations, 2017 (1 of 2017), namely:
(i) These regulations may be called the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services Interconnection (Addressable Systems) (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2021 (1 of 2021). (ii) These Regulations shall apply throughout the territory of India. (iii) These Regulations shall come into force from the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.
“4A. Compliance to requirements of Addressable System by distributors of television channels.— (1) Every distributor of television channel shall, from such date and after such testing and certification, as may be specified by the Authority by order, deploy such conditional access system and subscriber management system which conform to the requirements as specified in the Schedule IX:
Provided that for the conditional access systems and subscriber management systems already deployed before the date of issue of the order referred to in this sub-regulation, the Authority shall specify a separate timeline within which such systems shall get tested and certified to meet the requirements as specified in the Schedule IX.
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(2) If a distributor fails to obtain the certification of the conditional access system and/or subscriber management system deployed in its network within the stipulated timelines, as specified by the Authority under sub-regulation (1), it shall, without prejudice to the terms and conditions of its license or permission or registration, or the Act or rules or regulations or orders made, or directions issued, there-under, be liable to pay, by way of financial disincentive, an amount of rupees one thousand per day for default up to thirty days beyond the due date and an additional amount of rupees two thousand per day in case the default continues beyond thirty days from the due date, as the Authority may, by order, direct:
Provided that the financial disincentive levied by the Authority under this sub-regulation shall in no case exceed rupees two lakhs:
Provided further that no order for payment of any amount by way of financial disincentive shall be made by the Authority unless the distributor has been given a reasonable opportunity of representation against the contravention of the regulations, observed by the Authority:
Provided also that the Authority may direct the broadcasters to disconnect the signals of its television channel after giving written notice of three weeks to the distributor in case the default continues beyond sixty days from the due date.”
“Schedule IX
(Refer regulation 4A)
Conditional Access System (CAS) and Subscriber Management System (SMS)
A. CAS Mandatory Requirements
Time Stamping: All logs shall be stamped with date and time. The system shall not allow altering or modification of any logs. There shall be no facility for the distributor/users to purge logs.
Activation and Deactivation: No access/login IDs/user interface/application shall be provided to the distributor of television channels to execute any commands, including but not limited to, activation/de-activation, bouquet creation/modification/deletion, etc., directly from CAS by bypassing SMS:
Provided that, if any activity has been carried directly from CAS for trouble shooting; such an exception shall be identified through the synchronization mismatch report. Further, for any activity outside the normal channel/route of SMS-based commands, a secure log shall be maintained and made available on request to the audit or testing agency for scrutiny.
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SMS and CAS Integration: Each instance of the activity carried out at SMS pertaining to CAS shall be recorded in the logs/reports of CAS, along with date and time stamp.
Set Top Box (STB) Operation: Upon deactivation of any subscriber from the SMS, all program/services, including all free- to-air (FTA) and pay channels and platform services, shall be denied to that subscriber:
Provided that there shall be a facility for the distribution platform operator (DPO) to continue to provide B-mail/scroll messages that enable a consumer to get the information in relation to the recharge/payment of the pending dues.
Channel Addition: CAS shall be capable to add/modify channels/bouquets as may be required from time to time.
Logical Channel Number (LCN): CAS shall not support carriage of channel with same name or nomenclature in the distributor’s network served by each headend under more than one LCN, and another channel descriptor. Further, each channel available in CAS shall be uniquely mapped with channels available in SMS.
Hybrid STB: In case a distributor of television channels has deployed hybrid STBs, CAS shall ensure that the over-the-top (OTT) App does not get access to the linear Television channels, and the CAS does not get access to channels delivered through OTT platform:
Provided that, all the mandatory requirements for CAS shall be complied by the hybrid STBs.
(a) CAS database shall have the reports of white list of card/STBs along with details such as active/inactive status, with the date and time stamp.
(b) CAS system shall be capable of generating reports pertaining to the channel/bouquet subscriptions and active/deactivated subscribers, or any combination thereof; of sharing the same with SMS as a scheduled activity, and also upon request, including, but not limited to, the following details:
(i) STB Number (ii) Viewing Card (VC) Number [or, in case of card-less CAS, chip identification (ID) or virtual card number of the STB] (iii) Product Code pertaining to channels/ bouquets available on the platform (iv) Start date of entitlement (v) End date of entitlement (vi) Status of card (Active/Inactive)
(c) It shall be possible to generate following reports from the logs of CAS:
(i) STB-VC pairing/de-pairing (ii) STB activation/deactivation
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(iii) Channel assignment to STB (iv) Report of the activation/deactivations of a particular channel for a given period
