New Delhi: Adopting an industry-consumer friendly approach for broadcasting and cable services, telecom regulator TRAI has said that there would be no price regulation on pay/premium channels except the limited regulation of 20 per cent as the 'maximum discount' on a bouquet of premium channels in the CAS areas.

It has also recommended an 8 per cent annual license fee for Direct-to-Home (DTH) operations.

In order to promote growth of Internet and Broadband in the country and to make DTH services affordable, the Authority said, "The annual license fee of 8 per cent should be applied on Adjusted Gross Revenue."

According to draft recommendations, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has said that for CAS (Conditional Access System) areas like Chennai, the existing price regulation would be withdrawn.

For the Non-CAS areas, the Authority has recommended ceiling rates prevailing on December 26, 2003 plus five per cent.

"The ceiling rates at which the charges will be paid by the cable subscribers to cable operators, cable operators to Multi System Operators (MSOs) and MSOs to Broadcasters will be those prevailing on December 26, 2003 plus five per cent," TRAI's draft recommendations said.