NEW DELHI: Meeting a long-felt demand, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has decided to allow the balance inflation linked hike both at the retail and wholesale levels, from 1 January 2015.

The Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services (Second) Tariff (Thirteenth Amendment) Order 2014 applicable for non-addressable (analogue cable TV) systems prescribes ceiling retail tariff on pan-India basis depending upon the number of pay and free-to-air (FTA) channels.

The ceilings are Rs 117 per month for minimum of 30 FTA channels; Rs 234 per month for minimum 30 FTA channels and up to 20 pay channels; and Rs 292 per month for minimum 30 FTA channels and more than 20 pay channels.

 At the wholesale level, price ceilings will continue, subject to inflationary adjustments allowed from time to time.

TRAI said the order was aimed at rationalising retail tariff and simplifying implementation. The Authority had undertaken a similar exercise in April 2014.