Telecom Regulatory Authority Of India - Subsection
Section 2(1) in Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services Standards of Quality of Service and Consumer Protection (Addressable Systems) Regulations, 2017
(1)In these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires:-(a)"Act" means the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997 (24 of 1997);(b)"active subscriber" for the purpose of these regulations, means a subscriber who has been authorized to receive signals of television channels as per the subscriber management system and whose set top box has not been denied signals;(c)"addressable system" means an electronic device (which includes hardware and its associated software) or more than one electronic device put in an integrated system through which transmission of programmes including re-transmission of signals of television channels can be done in encrypted form, which can be decoded by the device or devices at the premises of the subscriber within the limits of the authorization made, on the choice and request of such subscriber, by the distributor of television channels;(cca)[ "long term subscription" means a subscription for a duration of six months or more, for which an advance payment has been made by the subscriber;] [Inserted by Regulation No. 2 of 2020, dated 1.1.2020.](d)"a-la-carte" or "a-la-carte channel" with reference to offering of a television channel means offering the channel individually on a standalone basis;(e)"Authority" means the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India established under sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997 (24 of 1997);(f)"bouquet" or "bouquet of channels" means an assortment of distinct channels offered together as a group or as a bundle and all its grammatical variations and cognate expressions shall be construed accordingly;(g)"broadcaster" means a person or a group of persons, or body corporate, or any organization or body who, after having obtained, in its name, downlinking permission for its channels, from the Central Government, is providing programming services;(h)"broadcaster's share of maximum retail price" with reference to a pay channel or a bouquet of pay channels means any fee payable by a distributor of television channels to a broadcaster for signals of pay channel or bouquet of pay channels, as the case may be, and for which due authorization has been obtained by such distributor from that broadcaster;(i)"broadcasting services" means the dissemination of any form of communication like signs, signals, writing, pictures, images and sounds of all kinds by transmission of electro-magnetic waves through space or through cables intended to be received by the general public either directly or indirectly and all its grammatical variations and cognate expressions shall be construed accordingly;(j)"cable service" or "cable TV service" means the transmission of programmes including re-transmission of signals of television channels through cables;(k)"cable television network" or "cable TV network" means any system consisting of a set of closed transmission paths and associated signal generation, control and distribution equipment, designed to provide cable service for reception by multiple subscribers;(l)"compliance officer" means any person designated so, who is capable of appreciating requirements for regulatory compliance under these regulations, by a service provider;(m)"customer care centre" means a department or a section or a facility established under sub-regulation (1) of regulation 25 by the distributor of television for addressing service requests, answering queries, recording of complaints, and redressal of grievances of consumers, by telephonic or electronic means or by any other means;(n)"customer care number" means a toll free telephone number specified by the distributor of television channels in compliance of sub-regulation (1) of regulation 25, to enable a consumer to access his customer care centre;(o)"customer care programming service" means a programming service designated for consumer awareness and dissemination of information relating to the services offered by the distributor of television Channels;(p)"customer premises equipment" or "CPE" means the components and accessories installed at the premises of the subscriber to enable the reception of broadcasting services related to television provided through addressable systems and includes cable wire, set top box, remote control for set top box, dish antenna, low noise block converter or any other equipment which may be necessary to receive broadcasting services related to television;(q)"direct to home operator" or "DTH operator" means any person who has been granted licence by the Central Government to provide direct to home (DTH) service;(r)"direct to home service" or "DTH service" means re-transmission of signals of television channels, by using a satellite system, directly to subscriber's premises without passing through an intermediary such as local cable operator or any other distributor of television channels;(s)"distribution platform" means distribution network of a DTH operator, multi-system operator, HITS operator or IPTV operator;(t)"distributor of television channels" or "distributor" means any DTH operator, multi-system operator, HITS operator or IPTV operator;(u)"distributor retail price" or "DRP" for the purpose of these regulations, means the price, excluding taxes, declared by a distributor of television channels and payable by a subscriber for a-la-carte pay channel or bouquet of pay channels, as the case may be;(v)"electronic programme guide" or "EPG" means a program guide maintained by the distributors of television channels that lists television channels and programmes, and scheduling and programming information therein and includes any enhanced guide that allows subscribers to navigate and select such available channels and programmes;(w)"free-to-air channel" or "free-to-air television channel" means a channel which is declared as such by the broadcaster and for which no fee is to be paid by the distributor of television channels to the broadcaster for signals of such channel;(x)"head end in the sky operator" or "HITS operator" means any person permitted by the Central Government to provide head end in the sky (HITS) service;(y)"head end in the sky service" or "HITS service" means transmission of programmes including re28 transmission of signals of television channels-(i)to intermediaries like local cable operators or multi-system operators by using a satellite system and not directly to subscribers; and(ii)to the subscribers by using satellite system and its own cable networks;(z)"internet protocol television operator" or "IPTV operator" means a person permitted by the Central Government to provide IPTV service;(aa)"internet protocol television service" or "IPTV service" means delivery of multi-channel television programmes in addressable mode by using Internet Protocol over a closed network of one or more service providers;(bb)"local cable operator" or "LCO" means a person registered under rule 5 of the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994;(cc)"lock-in period" with reference to subscription of a-la-carte channel or bouquet of channels, means a period of subscription during which a subscriber and the distributor of television channels offering the subscription, are restricted from discontinuing or altering the terms of the subscription of such channel or bouquet of channels;(dd)"maximum retail price" or "MRP" for the purpose of these regulations, means the maximum price, excluding taxes, payable by a subscriber for a-la-carte pay channel or bouquet of pay channels, as the case may be;(ee)"multi-system operator" or "MSO" means a cable operator who has been granted registration under rule 11 of the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994 and who receives a programming service from a broadcaster and re-transmits the same or transmits his own programming service for simultaneous reception either by multiple subscribers directly or through one or more local cable operators;(eea)[ "multi TV home" means a household having more than one TV connection or set top box in the name of one person;] [Inserted by Regulation No. 2 of 2020, dated 1.1.2020.](ff)"network capacity fee" means the amount, excluding taxes, payable by a subscriber to the distributor of television channels for distribution network capacity subscribed by that subscriber to receive the signals of subscribed television channels and it does not include subscription fee for pay channel or bouquet of pay channels, as the case may be;(gg)"nodal officer" means the officer appointed or designated by a distributor of television channels under sub-regulation (1) of regulation 28;(hh)"pay channel" means a channel which is declared as such by the broadcaster and for which a share of maximum retail price is to be paid to the broadcaster by the distributor of television channels and for which due authorization needs to be obtained from the broadcaster for distribution of such channel to subscribers;(ii)"programme" means any television broadcast and includes-(i)exhibition of films, features, dramas, advertisements and serials;(ii)any audio or visual or audio-visual live performance or presentation, and the expression "programming service" shall be construed accordingly;(jj)"service provider" means the Government as a service provider and includes a licensee as well as any broadcaster, distributor of television channels or local cable operator;(kk)"set top box" means a device, which is connected to or is part of a television receiver and which enables a subscriber to view subscribed channels;(ll)"subscriber" for the purpose of these regulations, means a person who receives broadcasting services related to television from a distributor of television channels, at a place indicated by such person without further transmitting it to any other person and who does not cause the signals of television channels to be heard or seen by any person for a specific sum of money to be paid by such person, and each set top box located at such place, for receiving the subscribed broadcasting services related to television, shall constitute one subscriber;(mm)"subscriber management system" means a system or device which stores the subscriber records and details with respect to name, address and other information regarding the hardware being utilized by the subscriber, channels or bouquets of channels subscribed by the subscriber, price of such channels or bouquets of channels as defined in the system, the activation or deactivation dates and time for any channel or bouquets of channels, a log of all actions performed on a subscriber's record, invoices raised on each subscriber and the amounts paid or discount allowed to the subscriber for each billing period;(nn)"tariff order" means the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services (Eighth) (Addressable Systems) Tariff Order, 2017;(oo)"television channel" means a channel, which has been granted permission for downlinking by the Central Government under the policy guidelines issued or amended by it from time to time and reference to the term `channel' shall be construed as a reference to "television channel".
