The Indian Government finally issued guidelines for IPTV services in India yesterday, and there are a few surprises: -- Differential IPTV License Fees: Telecom service providers will have to pay a heavier license fee than ISPs. Telcos will have to pay according to the circle of operation - 10% of Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) for Category A circles, 8% for category B and 6% for Category C. Comparatively, ISPs will have to pay only 6% of AGR. The government has blocked a possible loophole for Telcos - if a teleco registers as a cable operator to provide IPTV, it will be considered a telecom operator. There's no mention of a license fee for Cable Operators, only that Cable Operators will be governed by provisions of Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Act and TRAI Act for content. -- Value Added Services: IPTV…
