MUMBAI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has ordered cable TV service providers to stop displaying any reference interconnect offers(RIO) for analogue platforms.

Broadcasters have been warned not to show any analogue RIO on its site and also refrain from making direct or indirect offers to allow their TV signals to be shown on analogue cable TV networks. MSOs have been told not to entertain any unencrypted signals on their cable TV networks.

The TRAI has taken note of some broadcasters who have been avoiding this and continue to display analogue RIOs. “TRAI has written letters to such broadcasters individually whose analogue RIOs were found on websites,” it said.

The necessity of the order is because 31 March 2018 is the last date for implementing Phase IV of the digital addressable cable TV systems (DAS) after which only digital encrypted signals can be carried in the country. Carrying unencrypted signals after this date will be a violation of Section 4A of the Cable Television Network (regulation) Act 1995.