MUMBAI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India ( Trai ) has initiated consultation process on interoperability of set-top-boxes (STBs) for digital TV broadcasting services.The sector regulator of the view that the lack of interoperability of STBs between different service providers – cable and direct-to-home ( DTH ) operators – has not only compromised the competition in the Pay-TV market but also a major hindrance to technological innovation, improvement in service quality, and sector growth.In its consultation paper released on Monday, Trai has sought stakeholders’ views on 13 questions with detailed justifications for suggesting most optimal and cost-effective solutions.Among the questions, Trai has sought response on is it desirable to have interoperability of STBs and would it be desirable to have universal interoperability i.e. same STB to be usable on both DTH and cable platform, or should there be a policy/ regulation to implement interoperability only within a platform.Trai has also asked whether STBs be made available through open market only to exploit benefits of commoditisation of the device. Also, given the e-waste generated by non-interoperability of STBs, Trai has asked whether introducing STB interoperability is absolutely necessary with a view to reduce environmental impact.The cable and DTH operators have been against the idea of interoperability of the STBs, stating different technologies used by each of them. However, Trai has been adamant. It has been taking various measures to achieve the STB interoperability including the stakeholders’ meetings/ discussions. The authority also engaged with various technology companies in the broadcasting technology space for information exchange.In the consultation paper, Trai has also asked how interoperability of STBs can be implemented in Indian markets and the timelines for the development of eco-system to deploy interoperable STBs.The regulator had first issued a pre-consultation paper on the matter in April 2016. Later, a consultation note on solution architecture developed by C-DoT for technical interoperable STBs was issued in August 2017.Trai said that the smart card-based solution has been successfully tested in lab conditions using separate instances of conditional access system (CAS) developed by C-DoT, however, the field testing with third party CAS solution is still to be conducted with different industry stakeholders.Trai has sought for stakeholders’ comments on proposed solution architecture for technical interoperable STB by Monday, December 9th, and counter-comments by December 23rd.