TRAI Mandates Monthly and Quarterly Reporting by Broadcasting Operators

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued a new directive under Section 12 of the TRAI Act, 1997, making it mandatory for all Distribution Platform Operators (DPOs) to furnish Performance Monitoring Reports (PMRs) at regular intervals. The order, released today, covers operators across the broadcasting services sector, including Direct-to-Home (DTH) operators, Multi System Operators (MSOs), Headend-in-the-Sky (HITS) operators, and Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) operators.

Evolution of Reporting Requirements

TRAI has been gradually strengthening its monitoring and compliance framework over the years:

• 2008 Order: Initially, only DTH operators were required to submit Quarterly Performance Monitoring Reports (Q-PMRs).

• 2019 Revision: The framework was expanded, with revised reporting formats and mandatory submissions by DTH, MSOs, and HITS operators.

• 2025 Order: With several amendments notified in the Tariff Order, Interconnection Regulations, and Quality of Service Regulations, TRAI has updated the reporting formats once again to align with the evolving broadcasting ecosystem.

This progression highlights TRAI’s commitment to ensuring greater transparency, accountability, and consumer protection in the broadcasting sector.

New Reporting Obligations

Under the new order, all DPOs must submit two sets of reports:

1. Monthly Performance Monitoring Report (M-PMR)

   • Prescribed format: Annexure-I

   • Timeline: Within 10 days from the end of each month

2. Quarterly Performance Monitoring Report (Q-PMR)

   • Prescribed format: Annexure-II

   • Timeline: Within 15 days from the end of each quarter

   • Exemption: Optional for DPOs with active subscriber base ≤ 30,000 (as on the last day of the preceding financial year)

The updated formats, annexed to the order, are designed to capture a comprehensive dataset covering subscriber information, quality of service parameters, and operational compliance.

Objectives of the Framework

TRAI emphasized that the updated reporting system serves multiple objectives:

• Effective Monitoring of Compliance: Ensuring operators adhere to tariff and service delivery regulations.

• Transparency in Operations: Providing clarity to regulators and consumers about operator performance.

• Consumer Protection: Monitoring service quality to safeguard customer rights.

• Orderly Sector Growth: Supporting structured and data-driven policy-making for the broadcasting and cable TV services industry.

By making monthly reporting compulsory, TRAI aims to track developments more closely, reduce lag in compliance detection, and address issues faster.

Industry Implications

The move is expected to:

• Strengthen regulatory oversight over the broadcasting ecosystem, which caters to millions of households across India.

• Enhance service reliability, as operators will be under continuous performance scrutiny.

• Encourage smaller operators with under 30,000 subscribers to remain compliant while being provided reporting flexibility.

• Provide the government and TRAI with better datasets for policy formulation, especially in tariff regulation, consumer grievance redressal, and infrastructure investment.

Access and Contact

The full order, including annexed formats for reporting, is available on TRAI’s official website: www.trai.gov.in.

For clarification or further information, stakeholders may contact:

• Shri Abhay Shanker Verma Principal Advisor (Broadcasting & Cable Services) Email: pradvbcs@trai.gov.in Telephone: +91-11-20907761

This updated reporting framework marks a decisive step in modernizing regulatory practices in India’s broadcasting sector, aligning with TRAI’s broader mission of consumer-centric growth, transparency, and accountability.