Only Approved Live TV Apps on Smart TVs? Inside TRAI’s New Streaming Policy

26 Oct 2026, 12:51 by Vinay Kakkad · KalingaTV

New Delhi: In a major regulatory shift aimed at internet-delivered broadcasting, India’s telecom watchdog has proposed bringing all live television streaming platforms and free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) services under a statutory licensing structure.

Under the comprehensive recommendations released on Monday, October 26, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) called for establishing a distinct regulatory tier termed “Application-based Linear Television Distribution” (ALTD) services. The proposed category would operate within the broader television channel distribution architecture sanctioned by the Telecommunications Act, 2023.

The policy push places substantial gatekeeping responsibilities directly on hardware manufacturers and software platform operators. TRAI has recommended that smart television makers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and operating system providers restrict their app marketplaces and television hardware to carry exclusively authorized ALTD applications. To guarantee compliance, these companies would have to submit annual verification filings to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB).

According to communications shared by the Ministry of Communications, the primary onus of securing government clearance and maintaining statutory compliance rests squarely with the application providers themselves.

Despite introducing mandatory clearances, the regulator opted for a commercially light-touch financial structure to avoid stifling digital expansion. TRAI recommended setting a one-time entry charge of Rs 1 lakh alongside an application processing fee of Rs 10,000. Under the proposal, authorizations would carry an initial lifespan of 20 years, with subsequent renewal cycles granted in 10-year increments. Service providers would face no periodic authorization fees, bank guarantees, or mandatory security deposits.

Content distribution across these services would face tighter administrative borders. The Ministry of Communications noted that sanctioned ALTD operators must exclusively air television channels that possess valid registration, authorization, or formal operating permission from the Central Government. The blueprint also introduces a formal registration regime designed specifically for internet-native linear television feeds and establishes the app developer as the front-line entity responsible for resolving consumer grievances.

Beyond content delivery and licensing, the regulator outlined plans to absorb internet-based live television consumption into the established national television audience measurement system, effectively pooling digital streaming figures into the broader broadcast ratings architecture.

The recommendations stem from an official communication forwarded by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in December 2025. That reference urged the regulator to formulate rules addressing market parity between traditional and digital distributors, bolstering content accountability, and safeguarding consumer rights.

The proposals currently remain recommendations and require formal adoption and administrative execution by the Union government before coming into legal effect.

(Source: ANI)