Telecom Regulatory Authority of India on Thursday issued a tariff order, prescribing rates for pay channels in CAS areas, fixing a ceiling on the maximum retail price at Rs 5.

The ceiling on the maximum retail price of any pay channel whether new or existing would be Rs 5 per channel per subscriber per month (excluding taxes), TRAI said in a statement.

The maximum amount that can be charged for free-to-air channels would be Rs 77 (exclusive of taxes) per subscriber per month with a minimum of 30 free to air channels and additional free to air channels, if any provided, would have to be accommodated within the above maximum amount, it added.

The TRAI order would come into effect from December 31. This order is applicable in Conditional Access System notified areas of Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai.

The individual pay channel prices are to be fixed by the broadcasters within this ceiling. The MRPs would apply only where the subscription is for a minimum period of four months, it said.

One month's notice to subscribers before conversion of a free-to-air channel to pay channel or vice versa is needed.