Cabinet likely to clear DTH services today
New Delhi: Despite opposition from some of its members that the country’s "cultural independence" would be trampled upon, the group of ministers on direct-to-home (DTH) services gave its clearance for the telecast services to begin in this country. It is expected that the cabinet will soon give its approval to the recommendation, today.

After having resolutely denied permission for the services to begin, the government has taken this move with the aim of breaking the increasing monopoly of cable operators and allow for competition in this sector.

Star TV had, in 1997, first proposed the introduction of DTH in this country. This proposal was rejected by the, then, government on grounds of national security, since the DTH services would use the KU band frequency.

The technology allows for direct beaming of programs from satellites to little dish antennas in homes. When the service is introduced, it is likely to bring along value added services like e-mail, video-on-demand, and Internet and pay-per viewership.
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Inmarsat plans to launch mobile broadband service
Dubai: The world’s leading satellite company, Inmarsat, announced that it has signed an agreement with the US-based, Hughes Network Systems, and the Abu Dhabi-based Thuraya Satellite Telecommunications, to launch a mobile broadband service.

Thuraya is owned by several major Arab enterprises, including the United Arab Emirates telecom firm Etisalat, Abu Dhabi Investment Co, Qatar Telecom and Arab Satellite Communications Organisation.

The new service, a part of Inmarsat's strategy to develop high bandwidth data solutions to meet the needs of national, multinational and government customers, is expected to be available for use in 2002. The service will be largely available to those within the Thuraya service coverage area, which will include to nearly 100 countries in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe and the Indian subcontinent.

Hughes will help in the building of a new ground station and a gateway to provide packet data services via the Internet to service providers and to develop end-user mobile wireless terminals.

Inmarsat has leased capacity on the Thuraya-1 communications satellite, which was launched into orbit from a platform in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on October 21.
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MRTP commission to be wound up
New Delhi: The government has finally taken an in-principle decision to wind up the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission. This commission will be replaced by the Competition Commission of India, the new body envisaged under the proposed competition act to be passed.

It is expected that the Commission would be closed down in a year and its recently appointed chairman, Justice B M Lal, accommodated in the Competition Commission of India.

The SVS Raghavan committee on competition policy and law, which submitted its report in May 2000, had recommended that the MRTP Act should be repealed and the Commission wound up.

Another recommendation made by the committee was to transfer cases of unfair trade practices pending before the MRTPC, to the consumer courts. Further, it suggested that pending monopolies and restrictive trade practices cases may be taken up for adjudication by the Competition Commission.

The government proposes to place the bill in Parliament for clearance during the winter session. Simultaneously, it is expected to move a bill for repeal of the MRTP Act, 1969.

The Competition Act is expected to be notified a year after it is cleared by the House so as to ensure that the institutional framework is in place before enforcement of the new laws.
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