New Delhi: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued a strong directive to all Distribution Platform Operators (DPOs) — including Multi System Operators (MSOs), IPTV providers, Direct-to-Home (DTH) operators, and HITS platforms — to complete their mandatory annual system audits for the calendar year 2025 by December 31, 2025. Non-compliance, the regulator cautioned, could invite financial disincentives under existing rules.
In a notice dated October 31, 2025, TRAI expressed concern that “many DPOs have not caused audits of their systems for the calendar year 2025, so far.” The authority has now reminded all operators to “initiate and complete the audit process at the earliest” and ensure that the final audit reports are issued before the year-end deadline.
Under Regulation 15(1) of the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services Interconnection (Addressable Systems) Regulations, 2017 — commonly referred to as the Interconnection Regulations, 2017 — every distributor of television channels is required to get its system audited once every calendar year. The audit must be conducted either through an auditor empanelled by TRAI or by Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Limited (BECIL), a public sector enterprise under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
The system audit serves as a crucial compliance mechanism ensuring that DPOs adhere to the prescribed technical and operational parameters, particularly those related to addressable systems. These systems are essential for transparent channel subscription, accurate reporting of subscriber data, and fair revenue settlements between broadcasters and distributors.
Failure to meet the audit deadline could trigger penalties under sub-regulation (1A) of Regulation 15, which authorises TRAI to impose financial disincentives on operators that fail to comply with the annual audit requirement.
The annual audits are central to TRAI’s efforts to promote transparency, accountability, and consumer protection within the pay-TV ecosystem. They help ensure that distributors do not under-report active connections and that subscribers can exercise their right to choose individual channels or curated bouquets — a key reform introduced under the 2017 framework.
Since the implementation of the Interconnection Regulations in March 2017, TRAI has made a series of amendments to enhance audit rigor and compliance oversight. These amendments, issued in October 2019, January 2020, June 2021, November 2022, August 2023, and July 2024, have expanded the scope of audits, introduced stricter qualification norms for empanelled auditors, and empowered the regulator to take tougher action against defaulters.
By reinforcing the December 31 deadline, TRAI aims to ensure that all DPOs align with the strengthened regulatory framework and uphold the integrity of India’s broadcasting distribution ecosystem.
