The Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) may charge satellite firms a fee of €1 per subscriber to protect the radio spectrum they use to beam television signals into homes.
ComReg has also set out reasons why it believes television and radio broadcasters, including RTÉ, should pay a spectrum fee under European directives due to become law in July.
However, in a paper, the telecoms regulatory body says there is no legal basis for this and it is ultimately a policy decision for Government.
Radio spectrum is a national resource, which is managed by ComReg and enables telecoms firms and broadcasters to provide services to the public.
In its paper, The Future Regulation of Electronic Communications Networks and Services- Fees for Authorisations, ComReg says satellite firms should pay a fee to protect their signals.
It is likely the proposed fee would impact most on British firm BSkyB, which would face fees of at least €272,000 per year based on its subscriber base.
The fees would be used by ComReg to pay for the regulation of the telecoms and communications sector in the Republic.
BSkyB, which operates the Sky television service, complained to the regulator last year that plans to set up a regional digital television service could undermine the quality of its satellite signals.
Digital terrestrial technology would use the same 12GHz frequency band that Sky uses to beam its satellite signal into 272,000 Irish homes.
BSkyB has lobbied ComReg to prevent it from issuing regional licences that may cause "serious adverse effects on existing and future digital telecoms services as a consequence of interference."
BSkyB said yesterday it would be making no comment on the fees issue. But it is likely to oppose the fees unless ComReg is able to regulate it in the Republic.
ComReg plans to bring BSkyB within its regulatory control in July following the introduction of new EU directives, but the British firm is strongly resisting this. BSkyB says, as it is based in Britain and beams its signals into the Republic from a satellite registered in Luxembourg, it should not fall under State regulation.
ComReg and the Government disagree, and the Minister for Communications, Mr Ahern, recently told The Irish Times he would pass a law to bring BSkyB under regulation in the Republic.
Meanwhile, ComReg has proposed maintaining the current 0.2 per cent levy on telecoms operations revenues to pay the cost of regulating the sector under the EU regulatory regime.
But the levy will be extended to internet service providers and resellers of telecoms services in the market to promote the EU's desire to establish technological neutrality in regulation.
ComReg proposes extending the regulatory regime to include broadcasters and proposes that similar levies should apply to cable and satellite firms. But it says the imposition of a spectrum fee is ultimately a matter for Government.
