FAST, ALTD framework: Can TRAI balance regulation and innovation as CTV grows?

As television distribution increasingly moves online, the proposed regulatory framework for Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television (FAST) and Application-based Linear Television Distribution (ALTD) is putting the spotlight on a key question for the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI): how to address concerns around competition, piracy, copyright and a level playing field without imposing legacy television rules that could constrain innovation in internet-delivered TV.

Dish TV, Sun Direct and Tata Play are moving into the connected TV space pointing to a broader movement among DTH operators towards internet-enabled television distribution through partnerships with broadcasters and FAST. 

Read more: TRAI likely to recommend regulatory framework for FAST, ALTD

A leading broadcaster that recently entered a connected TV deal called on the government to allow technology and consumer behaviour to shape television distribution's evolution, arguing that regulation must keep pace with the shift towards internet-delivered television rather than preserve legacy distribution models.

“The right approach is not to protect one technology against another. It is to allow technology and consumer behaviour to determine the evolution of the market while ensuring that competition, consumer protection and public-interest obligations remain safeguarded,” the broadcaster said, outlining its position on the proposed regulatory framework for Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television (FAST) and Application-based Linear Television Distribution (ALTD).

Read more: Cable operators on the backfoot

The comments come as the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is expected to recommend a formal regulatory framework for FAST and ALTD services, potentially bringing internet-delivered linear television into a more structured regulatory regime. 

The recommendations could have significant implications for broadcasters, cable operators, direct-to-home (DTH) companies, connected TV manufacturers and streaming platforms as the boundaries between conventional television and internet distribution continue to blur.

DTH players bet on FAST, broadcaster partnerships

The broadcaster argued that the emergence of linear television streaming (LTS) should not be viewed as the decline of traditional distribution platforms but as an opportunity to reinvent the delivery of scheduled television channels.

“Linear television has survived the arrival of satellite television. It survived cable. It survived DTH. It survived the Internet. It is now entering the age of streaming,” the broadcaster said, adding that linear television could become digital without abandoning its scheduled programming format.

“The future of television may not be linear versus streaming. It may be linear through streaming,” it said.

The argument highlights an emerging divide in the industry. While several broadcasters want safeguards against regulatory asymmetry as traditional television migrates to connected devices, FAST operators and technology companies have cautioned against extending licensing requirements designed for cable and satellite distribution to internet-based applications.

Piracy, copyright emerge as key concerns

Beyond the question of licensing, some broadcasters calling for regulating FAST, ALTD are also raising concerns about content protection and the complexities of distributing television channels over the open internet.

A broadcaster advocating regulation of FAST and ALTD said piracy and territorial restrictions would require particular attention under any proposed framework.

“Two issues which need to be addressed: Piracy. We are all aware of how piracy happens on the internet. How do we control it and how do we geo-fence the content which is going from the network, because it's on the public internet so geo-fencing is mandatory,” the broadcaster said.

The broadcaster pointed out that content rights are often divided across different modes of distribution, with internet rights sold separately from cable, satellite, transmission and studio rights.

Consequently, a channel that can legally be distributed through conventional television networks may not necessarily have the rights required to stream all its programming over the internet.

“Sometimes you may have linear content available but you may not have digital rights, which are sold separately,” the broadcaster said, highlighting the need for platforms to respect contractual restrictions while distributing scheduled channels online.

These concerns are likely to figure in the broader regulatory debate as FAST services expand their channel offerings across smart TVs and other connected devices. The challenge for regulators will be to distinguish between obligations relating to the distribution platform and those arising from the underlying content rights.

FAST platforms seek light-touch regulation

FAST operators, meanwhile, have argued that internet-delivered television could create a more accessible and competitive digital ecosystem, provided the regulatory framework does not impose disproportionate compliance requirements.

Manish Sinha, Founder and CEO of RunnTV said such services could enable media companies, startups, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and technology companies to participate in the evolving television market.

“FAST/ALTD can help India move towards a more open, user-oriented digital ecosystem, beyond traditional walled gardens, while creating significant opportunities for innovation and participation by media companies across segments including startups, MSMEs and technology companies,” Sinha said.

It argued that regulation should balance competition, accountability and consumer protection without creating barriers that could restrict innovation or concentrate market power among large technology ecosystems.

“Practical and light-touch regulation will be important to enabling the FAST/ALTD ecosystem to scale rapidly in India, while giving Indian media and technology companies the space to innovate, build globally competitive capabilities and take their products, content and platforms from India to the world,” Sinha said.

The position reflects a broader industry concern that applying the same licensing and compliance framework to internet-based applications and infrastructure-dependent television distribution could raise costs for emerging platforms.

e4m had earlier reported that traditional broadcasters including Times Network, ABP Network and Zee Entertainment have sought greater regulatory parity between conventional television distribution and internet-delivered linear channels. 

Their submissions have flagged issues ranging from advertising revenue-sharing arrangements and channel discoverability to consumer grievance redressal and access to audience data.

Zee has also proposed formal authorisation for ALTD providers, alongside extending certain must-carry and must-provide obligations to the services. Other broadcasters, including TV Today Network and Network18, have questioned whether FAST and ALTD applications can be classified as telecommunications services under the existing legal framework.

Jio Platforms has similarly argued that OTT services should continue to be governed primarily under the Information Technology Rules rather than regulations designed for traditional distribution platforms. Smart-TV manufacturers have also opposed being classified as broadcasters or distributors merely because their devices carry pre-installed FAST applications.

Cable operators write to TRAI

 A section of cable operators also approached TRAI Chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti, urging the regulator to examine the impact of live television streaming services on the cable television industry and consider appropriate regulatory measures to ensure a level playing field for all stakeholders. 

The cable operators called on TRAI to take suitable steps to safeguard fair competition and protect the interests of cable operators across the country, adding to growing concerns within the traditional distribution sector over the expansion of internet-based linear television services.  

Regulatory framework could shape the next phase of TV distribution

The regulatory debate comes as traditional distributors and technology companies expand their presence in connected television, with FAST emerging as an additional route for channels to reach audiences outside conventional cable and DTH connections.

For broadcasters, the central question is whether the migration of linear channels to the internet should allow them to bypass obligations applicable to conventional television distribution, particularly when the same channels compete for advertising and audiences across both environments.

For FAST platforms, the concern is that a framework built around licensing and infrastructure-based distribution could impose requirements that do not reflect the technical and commercial characteristics of internet applications.

The outcome could influence how channels are distributed, how advertising inventory and consumer data are controlled, and how content owners protect their intellectual property across connected-TV platforms.

TRAI's recommendations will therefore be significant not merely for the classification of FAST and ALTD services, but also for determining how India's television regulatory framework adapts to a market in which scheduled programming increasingly reaches viewers through internet-connected devices.