The Punjab and Haryana High Court has dismissed a petition filed by the Cable TV Operators Welfare Association challenging two key amendments introduced by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in 2022.

The court noted that the issue had already been conclusively settled by the Kerala High Court and later upheld by the Supreme Court, leaving no room for further intervention.

The petition questioned TRAI’s Interconnection (Addressable Systems) Fourth Amendment Regulations, 2022, and the Tariff (Third Amendment) Order, 2022, both notified on November 22, 2022.

According to a TNN report, the petitioner argued that these amendments disrupted the existing operational framework for broadcasters and cable operators, leading to industry-wide concerns over compliance and commercial implications.

Appearing for the Union of India and TRAI, advocate Himanshu Malik informed the bench that an identical challenge had been rejected by the Kerala High Court in 2023. He added that the Supreme Court had subsequently declined to interfere with the Kerala HC’s verdict, effectively settling the matter at the national level.

After hearing both sides, the division bench of Justice Harsimran Singh Sethi and Justice Vikas Suri held that, since the Supreme Court had already endorsed the Kerala High Court’s view, the petition before the Punjab and Haryana High Court could not be sustained.

The court accordingly dismissed the plea, bringing closure to the association’s challenge against the 2022 regulatory amendments.

The decision reinforces the validity of TRAI’s updated framework governing tariff structures and interconnection norms for the broadcasting and cable distribution ecosystem.