The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) has asked the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) not to extend a broadcasting licence framework to Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television, or FAST, channels and other app-based streaming services.
According to the industry body, these offerings operate through apps and the internet, which makes them different from traditional broadcasting platforms. IAMAI argued that treating them like conventional TV services would blur the line between internet-based content delivery and regulated broadcast distribution.
The association also said such a move would be at odds with the government’s existing approach to digital content laws. In its view, imposing broadcast-style regulation on FAST and related online services would conflict with the legal structure already used for the broader digital ecosystem.
The intervention highlights a larger policy debate in India over how newer streaming formats should be classified as digital media consumption evolves. FAST channels, which offer scheduled content supported by advertising, sit between traditional television and on-demand streaming, making regulation a key issue for platforms, advertisers and policymakers.
