DTH may take indirect route

I amp; B Minister Pramod Mahajan, Communications Minister Jagmohan and Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha were includedin the GoT around January 6, soon after which a second notification from the PMO increased the scope of the GoT.

When Mahajan was inducted into the GoT, the official line was that he had been included primarily to sort out issues relating to the allocation of air frequencies, so as to ensure that any solution to the telecom industry8217;s frequency needs were not detrimental to the interests of TV and radio. Other users of such frequencies 8212; defence forces 8212; were in any case included in one of the GoT8217;s sub-groups.

The 1997 notification banning DTH was also issued by the Ministry of Communications. The notification banned the transmission in frequency bands 4800 MHz and above, which in effect means from the Ku band. The notification was called The Radio Television and Video Cassette Recorder Sets Exemption from Licensing Requirements Rules, 1997.