TRAI Proposes Licence for Free Smart TV Apps: Samsung TV Plus, LG Channels in Focus
Free Smart TV Channels May Need Government Licence Under TRAI Proposal (Image TRAI)
By SANJAY SINGH
The telecom regulator has recommended a 20-year authorisation for app-based linear television services, with a ₹1 lakh entry fee, as India considers bringing free, ad-supported streaming channels under a licensing framework.
New Delhi, October 27, 2026 — Free streaming television apps preinstalled on smart TVs could soon face a licensing regime in India, with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recommending government authorisation for applications that distribute live-style television channels over the internet.
The recommendations, submitted to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), could affect services such as Samsung TV Plus and LG Channels, which offer free, ad-supported channels on compatible smart TVs.
The industry commonly describes this model as free ad-supported streaming television (FAST). TRAI has proposed a broader regulatory category called “Application-based Linear Television Distribution” to cover such services.
The proposal follows a request from the MIB in December 2025, after cable television operators complained that internet-based services were distributing television channels without the licences required of traditional cable and direct-to-home (DTH) operators.
Under TRAI’s recommendations, providers of application-based linear television services would require national authorisation under the Telecommunications Act, 2023. The proposed authorisation would remain valid for 20 years, with an entry fee of ₹1 lakh.
Apps would be allowed to distribute television channels already permitted by the ministry without obtaining separate approval for each channel.
However, channels created exclusively for these applications would have to register with the ministry and pay an annual fee of ₹1 lakh per channel. This proposed registration route would be available only to non-news channels.
TRAI has argued that news and current affairs programming raises distinct concerns relating to public order and national security. It cautioned that permitting internet-only news channels through a lighter regulatory route could allow providers to bypass the permissions applicable to conventional television news channels.
Smart TV makers could face compliance obligations
The recommendations also envisage responsibilities for television manufacturers and operating system providers. They would be required to remove or disable applications that do not appear on an authorised-app list maintained by the ministry.
Foreign companies providing these services would have to operate through an Indian entity.
These provisions could have implications for smart TV manufacturers, platform operators and streaming businesses that rely on preinstalled applications to distribute advertising-supported channels.
TRAI said it received more than 200 comments in response to its consultation paper issued in April 2026. The consultation examined how app-based linear television services should be regulated in relation to existing television distribution platforms.
The regulator has said its approach seeks to balance innovation and consumer protection with fair competition between distribution platforms.
The recommendations do not themselves introduce a licensing requirement. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will consider the proposals and decide whether, and in what form, to notify the regulatory framework.
If implemented, the proposed regime could reshape the regulatory environment for free streaming television in India, bringing smart TV applications closer to the framework governing traditional television distribution.
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