NEW DELHI: The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (Tdsat) is to hear on 24 August petitions by multi-system operator (MSO) Digicable Network (India) Pvt. Ltd, Delhi Distribution Company, and United Cable Operator’s Welfare Association challenging the digital tariff order of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai).

Although Tdsat had issued notice to Trai and the Union of India in this connection on 2 July, it was informed Tuesday that the regulator had filed its reply late last week and the petitioners wanted time to file their rejoinders.

Chaiperson Justice S B Sinha and member P K Rastogi accordingly listed the matter for 24 August.

Tdsat had earlier listed for 25 August a petition by IndusInd Media and Communications Ltd (IMCL) in this regard, even as it permitted news broadcasters NDTV, Time Global (holding company of Times Now), India TV, TV Today, Total TV, and News Broadcaster‘s Association (NBA), Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), and other broadcasters to be a party to it. However, it said the broadcasters‘ impleadment would be subject to the objections raised by IMCL.

Digicable has approached the broadcast tribunal opposing the sector regulator’s new revenue sharing mechanism. In its petition, Digicable said Trai’s tariff order is "unjust, unfair, unreasonable, arbitrary, irrational, and discriminatory" and is tilted towards the broadcasters. According to the Trai tariff order, charges collected from the subscription of paid channels or bouquet of paid channels shall be shared in the ratio of 65:35 between MSO and the local cable operator respectively.

Earlier, local cable operators (LCOs) opposed the Trai tariff order. United Cable Operator’s Welfare Association had approached the Tdsat seeking better revenue share from the MSOs and an extension in date for digitisation.

Meanwhile, the deadline for the first phase of digitisation in the four metros has already been postponed by four months to 1 November.