The Union Cabinet has cleared all the hurdles in the way of Ku-band direct to home television. The GoM had met earlier this week and this morning before finalising the modalities of opening up DTH. The Cabinet took this decision at a meeting which has just concluded at Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's residence.

The lifting of the December 1996 ban has been a difficult political decision to make for several governments. I&B minister Sushma Swaraj with support from former I&B minister and current law minister, Arun Jaitley, however have managed to push it through.

Details of the clearance are awaited, but CNBC India has reported that the government has decided to open up DTH to as many players as possible.