The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India is to consider the recommendations of the Cable Television Committee, which it expects to receive in another 15 days time, and formulate a policy based on the suggestions.
"The committee will provide us its recommendations in next 15 days and we will look into it. However, the implementations will be done after the general elections in the country, which might take another three to four months, Trai chairman Pradip Baijal said in his special address at the FICCI Frames 2004 convention in Mumbai on Tuesday.
The regulator had earlier constituted a special committee comprising representatives of state governments and Trai, which would work on the various issues relating to cable TV and provide inputs to it. Trai secretary was the chairman of the committee and the regulator has the authority to finalise and implement the recommendations.
The reference committee had suggested norms for fixing rates (ceiling rates) for cable subscribers, operators and multi system operators and for individual pay channels and bouquets.
There were around 55 million cable homes and 45 million telephone homes (fixedline) in the country, he said, adding, this translates into a huge potential for the broadband and cable TV sector in India.
There were only four Internet connections for 1,000 people and two broadband connections for every 10,000 people in the country, he said, adding this was on the low-end.