If you flip on your smart TV and watch free live channels through an app, this one’s for you. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has recommended a new framework for apps that stream scheduled TV channels over the internet. The recommendations came out on October 26, 2026, and cover Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television (FAST) services and similar live TV platforms. So what does that mean for you and for the apps? Here are the five key points.
1. Live TV Apps Would Get Their Own Category
TRAI wants to create a separate category called Application-based Linear Television Distribution (ALTD) Services. These are apps, websites, or similar interfaces that gather scheduled TV channels and deliver them on internet-connected devices such as smart TVs and phones. FAST platforms fall under this label.
The idea is simple. Unlike Netflix, where you pick what to watch and when, these services run on a fixed schedule, just like cable or DTH. TRAI’s view is that something that feels like TV should be regulated like TV. Under the proposal, the new category would sit within the broadcasting authorisation framework under the Telecommunications Act, 2023.
2. Live TV Apps May Need Government Authorisation
The headline recommendation is that app providers should get authorisation from the government before running an ALTD service in India. TRAI calls its approach “light-touch”, and the proposed terms are fairly modest:
| Particulars | Proposed Details |
| Service area | National |
| Initial validity | 20 years |
| Renewal | Successive periods of 10 years |
| Application processing fee | Rs 10,000 |
| One-time entry fee | Rs 1 lakh |
| Authorisation fee | Not proposed |
| Bank guarantee | Not required |
| Security deposit | Not required |
Authorisation, channel registration, and reporting would all run through an online portal. The app provider would be the main party responsible for getting approval and following the rules.
3. Smart TV Makers Would Have a Role Too
Here’s the part that could affect what shows up on your TV screen. TRAI has recommended that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) keep a central “Master ALTD App Repository” listing authorised apps.
Smart TV manufacturers and operating system providers would then have to make sure only authorised ALTD apps are available on their devices and app stores. They would also have to send annual compliance reports to the ministry. This applies to ALTD apps, so it doesn’t mean every video app on your TV would be restricted.
4. What Channels and Viewers Would See
The framework also touches on the channels themselves, and on what happens when something goes wrong for viewers:
- Channel rules: Authorised apps could carry only channels that hold valid permission, authorisation or registration from the Central Government.
- Internet-native channels: TRAI has proposed a registration route for channels made for the internet. According to trade reports, this includes a Rs 10,000 processing fee and an annual fee of Rs 1 lakh per channel, with registration valid for 10 years.
- Complaints: The app provider would be your first point of contact for complaints and grievances about the service.
- Ratings: Viewership on ALTD apps would be counted in the TV audience measurement framework.
Not everything is covered. Reports say broadcaster-owned single-brand apps, which carry only their own channels, and social media live streams are excluded from the proposed framework.
5. Are These Rules Final? What Changes for Viewers?
No, these are recommendations, not final rules. TRAI has sent them to the government as its proposals, and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will have to consider them before anything is notified. One trade report says the ministry would need to draft rules and build the online portal and app repository first, with existing apps getting a year to comply.
If the government accepts the proposals, apps offering live channels may need authorisation to stay available on covered devices and app stores. Apps that don’t get authorised could disappear from smart TVs.
Does that mean your free channels turn into paid ones? Nothing in the recommendations says so. The framework is about authorisation, and trade reports say matters like tariffs and carriage terms are left for separate reviews later.
Final words
TRAI’s recommendations could reshape how internet-based live TV works in India, from app authorisation to smart TV app checks and viewer complaints. For now, it’s a proposal. Viewers and streaming companies will have to wait for the government’s decision to see how it plays out.
FAQs
- What are TRAI’s new rules for live TV streaming apps?
TRAI has recommended an authorisation framework for apps that distribute scheduled TV channels over the internet. These are recommendations, not yet final rules.
- What fees has TRAI proposed for live TV apps?
An application processing fee of Rs 10,000 and a one-time entry fee of Rs 1 lakh. TRAI hasn’t proposed an authorisation fee, bank guarantee, or security deposit.
- Will free live TV apps stop working in India?
Not necessarily. If the proposals are adopted, apps covered by the framework would need authorisation to stay available on covered devices and app stores.
- Will Netflix and other OTT platforms be covered?
Not just because they stream video. The framework is aimed at apps that aggregate and distribute scheduled linear TV channels.
- Do smart TV makers have to follow these recommendations?
If adopted, TV manufacturers and operating system providers would have to make sure only authorised ALTD apps are available through their devices and app stores.
