Trai Makes Set-Top Interoperability Mandatory, DTH Operators Have 6 Months to Adopt New Standards

DTH and Cable TV STBs Cannot Be Interoperable

Another point worth noting is that the Set-Top Boxes of DTH and Cable TV operators are not interoperable. This essentially means that a DTH subscriber cannot be migrated as a Cable TV user and vice versa. Trai says that there are technical and commercial constraints to universal STB, so the interoperability shall be applicable within the DTH and within the cable segment respectively.

USB Port-Based Common Interface Proposed for All Digital TV Sets

Trai also recommends mandatory provisioning of USB port-based Common Interface for all digital television sets in India. The MIB along with Trai and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) may request BIS to amend the specifications for digital television sets to include USB based Common Interface port as per DVI CI Plus 2.0 standard based on ETS TS 103 605.

All the TV manufacturers must provide all digital television sets with minimum one open interface port based on DVB CI Plus 2.0 standards permitting simple connection of USB CAM to allow reception of television signals. Secondly, manufacturers should also provide the TV sets with built-in tuners to enable reception of television content through both satellite and cable platforms.

MIB May Set Up Coordination Committee to Monitor the New Rules

The MIB may also set up a Coordination Committee having members from MeitY, Trai, BIS and TV manufacturers. This committee will steer the implementation of revised STB rules over the next six months.

It is already a piece of known news that the DTH and Cable TV operators have opposed the move of STB interoperability in India. Some operators stated that the new standards might overburden them financially, while some said that the new rules aren’t required for a country like India. But again, Trai has now mandated that all the STBs should be portable in the next six months.