Asserting that consumers' interest would be protected from cable TV operators, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India chairman Pradip Baijal on Friday said consumers should have multiple options like cable, broadband, DTH and set-top boxes to watch satellite TV channels at home.

"The consumers should have multiple options, DTH is very welcome, as also others like broadband. You can't have one system only, otherwise local monopolies will develop as they have developed now," Baijal told reporters on the sidelines of Trai open house discussion on 'Accelarating growth of Internet and broadband', in Bangalore.

Giving credit to the cable TV industry for the spurt in satellite TV channels in an unregulated environment, he said, "Now time has come, there is a need for a regulator, because there are disputes between various ladders."

"We have just entered the area of due diligence; we will complete the due diligence and come to a conclusion," he said.

Baijal said Trai had begun consultations with the users group, cable operators, multi-service operators, broadcasters on the "costing exercise" (to the consumer).

Pointing out that enforcement would be a tough issue to handle, Baijal said Trai's experience in enforcing a network environment would assist in manning the cable TV industry.

"Implementing the regulations is a problem, but world over, the telecom regulator regulates this (broadcast)," he said.