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Category: Broadband

  • ONE Broadband partners Nokia to power end-to-end network

    ONE Broadband partners Nokia to power end-to-end network

    MUMBAI: ONE Broadband, a Hinduja Group company for Telecom Data Services for the home and enterprise segments, has partnered Nokia to address the growing customer demand for high-speed services and capacity by deploying its gigabit passive optical networking (GPON) technology. With this partnership, ONE Broadband will be able to meet the ultra-broadband needs of its customers irrespective of network congestion.

    The technology will be initially deployed in the metropolitan cities of Mumbai and Delhi, followed by deployment in Bangalore and Nagpur. Subsequently, the technology will be deployed in other parts of the country.

    ONE Broadband will leverage Nokia’s GPON technology along with its broadband network gateway (BNG), carrier grade NAT (CGNAT) and deep packet inspection (DPI) to provide 2Gbps broadband connections to home users. The project will also allow ONE Broadband to upgrade bandwidth to symmetrical 10Gbps for enterprise customers.

    ONE Broadband will be able to provide differentiated and enhanced services to its customers with the help of Nokia BNG. The entire network would be based on MPLS technology and handle hundreds of Gigabits of traffic per second, enabling ONE Broadband customers to consume voice, video and data services at lightning speed.

    ONE Broadband CEO Yugal Sharma said: “The growing demand for advanced services, like ultra-high speed broadband, OTT and 4K Video transport, has created the necessity for a high-capacity fiber network. We want our customers to experience the best possible speed and network experience, and we believe that Nokia’s technical expertise will allow us to offer differentiated services to our customers.”

    Nokia’s head of emerging business for India Vinish Bawa said: “We are thrilled to work with ONE Broadband in their quest to provide better quality services to their customers. Indian cable operators are in the midst of a digital transformation, and with this deployment ONE Broadband will be able to grow its business by efficiently addressing the customer’s need for more capacity and a speedier broadband network.”

  • GTPL launches high-speed internet on GPON FTTX technology

    GTPL launches high-speed internet on GPON FTTX technology

    MUMBAI: GTPL Hathway, a cable TV and broadband service provider in India, has launched its high-speed broadband service in Ahmedabad on GPON (gigabit passive optical network) FTTX (fibre to the X) technology. The company has upgraded its network to GPON FTTX technology to meet consumer demand and has started providing internet connections of 40 mbps and 100 mbps plans with no data restriction in the price range of Rs 635 to 763 per month.

    “GTPL has been making continuous enhancement in its technological capabilities and deploying most advanced available technology in cable and broadband industry. Our deployment of the latest GPON FITX technology has enabled us to provide a unique offering of high speed ‘no data restriction’ internet connectivity. This offer is a game changer and GTPL is proud to bring this to its valued customers,” said GTPL Hathway managing director Aniruddhasinhji Jadeja.

    The company has launched annual and half-yearly subscription. Currently, the services launched are restricted to Ahmedabad only but there are plans to progressively launch in other key cities of Gujarat.

    “With the launch of our new broadband plans, for the first time, customers in Ahmedabad will get ‘Sach mein unlimited’ – a unique combination of high-speed connectivity at a reasonable price with no data restriction whatsoever. The technology can provide up to 1 gbps if the customer so demands,” added Jadeja.

    Also Read:

    GTPL Hathway pockets Rs 480-mn Gujarat govt contracts

    GTPL Hathway declares maiden dividend on higher numbers for FY-17

    GTPL Hathway reports higher numbers and flat q-o-q ARPUs

  • WEF, Reliance join hands for digital excellence centre

    WEF, Reliance join hands for digital excellence centre

    Mumbai: In what could give a major fillip to PM Modi’s Digital India dream, which also envisages making available broadband and related services to over 60,000 village administrations, the World Economic Forum has announced a new digital technology centre in Mumbai that would be executed by the Indian government and Reliance Industries Ltd (Reliance) jointly.

    Dubbed the Center for Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR), it “will operate as the sister centre to the World Economic Forum Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in San Francisco, allowing policymakers and thought leaders in India to stay ahead of the curve through unique insights in new forms of governance and new technology applications, and connections with cutting-edge technology innovators globally,” Reliance said in a statement.

    The WEF identified India as a partner since it is a key economic, political and social shaper of the 21st century’s global, regional and industry systems.

    The WEF initiative is also a recognition of Modi’s Digital India vision and Startup India programme to encourage young entrepreneurs. It is the first centre opened outside of Silicon Valley in the US.

    “The capability for India to maximise the potential and minimise the risks of the Fourth Industrial revolution, both domestically for its economy and society, and globally as a major economic and social innovator — and cultural influencer– will be one of the foremost drivers for prosperity and peace over the coming decades,” the WEF said.

    The new economy will greatly benefit from the Fourth Industrial Revolution in a digital age and is expected to create significant value to countries that embrace them quickly by accelerating their GDP and job growth. These opportunities include artificial intelligence and machine learning, internet of things (IoT) and blockchain, among many others, according to the WEF.

    The WEF, which has been championing the Fourth Industrial Revolution, established C4IR in the Silicon Valley at San Francisco as Silicon Valley was already home to several of these exciting developments.

  • Ortel takes on competition with new broadband plans

    Ortel takes on competition with new broadband plans

    MUMBAI: Taking a big step towards recovery, battered cable television and broadband services company Ortel Communications Limited (Ortel) has unveiled its new unlimited data plans starting from Rs 99 per month.

    Ortel, with its operations focused in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh, has been a trendsetter in offering customer-centric broadband plans in accordance to the ever-changing internet ecospace in India. With its new range of unlimited plans, the company has taken the big telecom players head-on.

    The Rs.99 plan has 500 MB data limit per day @ 2Mbps, although the customer can continue browsing even after reaching the daily limit, at post FUP speed. The New Unlimited FUP Broadband Plans also have options of 1 GB daily data limit at Rs.129 per month and a multi-month package at Rs.349 wherein subscribers can enjoy 1 GB data per day at 2 Mbps speed for 3 months. These plans would cover the needs of first time users, social networking users and the price sensitive segment.

    The ‘Below 100’ plan would also enable Ortel to increase the penetration of internet ready home passes which are already available in most of the markets where it operates. With the proliferation of smartphones and other smart internet devices, consumers can use the same devices to connect to Ortel Home Wi-Fi solutions at a cheaper price and better in house speeds. The plans directly compete with the Telecom Players who offer 3G and 4G on Mobile Devices. Customers also have the option of free installation if Multi Month Subscription is paid in advance. Broadband would become more of a utility than luxury and the plans would make right to broadband access closer to reality.

    Ortel had already withdrawn the plans below 1 Mbps in the month of April 2017. With the launch of new plans, it has now withdrawn all the plans below 2 Mbps. It has introduced Unlimited FUP plans in the speed range of 5 Mbps, 10 Mbps, 20 Mbps, 50 Mbps and 100 Mbps with monthly data limits ranging from 40 GB to 1 Terabyte at very affordable price points.  

    Commenting on the development Ortel Communications president and CEO Bibhu Prasad Rath said, “Looking at the huge data consumption that is taking place in the country today, we have decided to take full advantage of this opportunity and therefore launched Unlimited Data Plan at just Rs. 99 per month. We are already providing high data limits to our customers, but now with the aggressive pricing which is even better than most of the telecom players, we aim to provide an excellent value for money to our subscribers. The objective is to increase the overall average data consumption of customers from 18 GB to 100 GB per month at pocket friendly prices.”

    Ortel is the first MSO and ISP to offer wireless broadband service at public places for its wired broadband subscribers without any additional  WiFi  Hotspot  access  charges.  Ortel Communications is a pioneer in providing convergence communication services in the country. It has revolutionized the entertainment and broadband technology in India. It has always been the Company’s  vision  to  provide  Cable  TV  and  Data  Service  on  a  single  cable  platform  to households. The Company has invested in laying its own network with reverse path compatibility making it capable of providing Triple play services including broadband and VoIP services with enormous advantages and superiority in the network. Ortel provides connection to customers directly and has full control over its ‘last mile’ network.

    Also read:

    Multiple challenges weaken Ortel numbers in second quarter

    MSO Ortel strengthens digital payment services

    Ortel elevates Satyanaryan Jena as CFO as Manoj Kumar Patra resigns

  • Broadband: Jio leads wireless; Hathway enters top-five list

    Broadband: Jio leads wireless; Hathway enters top-five list

    BENGALURU: Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited (Jio) continued expanding its subscriber base one year after launch as per Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) data for September 2017 (Sep-17, as on 30 September 2017, month under review). The wireless broadband internet subscriber base in India grew by 8.41 million to which Jio added 70 percent or 5.94 million subscribers during the month.

    The heavily indebted Anil Ambani-led Reliance Communications Limited (RCom), which will shut voice call services from 1 December 2017, continued to lose wireless broadband internet subscribers in Sep-17. RCom lost 1.89 million subscribers during the period under review.

    In the meantime, the wireline broadband internet subscriber base in the country continued the decline that commenced in July-17. Wireline broadband internet subscriber base in India fell by 0.106 million in September 2017 to 18.04 million from 18.11 million at the end of August 2017.

    Hathway Cable and Datacom Limited (Hathway) entered the list of top five wireline broadband internet service providers in the country at fifth place with an internet subscriber base of 0.67 million. It displaced You Broadband which had a subscriber base of 0.66 million as on 31 August 2017.

    Among the top five wireline broadband services providers in the country from the August 2017 list, only Bharati Airtel (Airtel) which is ranked second added 0.01 million subscribers to reach wireline internet subscriber bases of 2.12 million. The third largest wireline internet player in India and probably the largest private sector player in South India- Atria Convergence Technologies (ACT) reported no change in its August 2017 internet subscriber base of 1.24 million.

    The fall in wireline internet subscribers was once again led by the public sector government telecom companies – Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telecom Nigam Limited (MTNL). The former lost 0.06 million subscribers, while the latter lost 0.01 million in September 2017. The largest wireline internet player in terms of subscribers, BSNL, closed September 2017 with a wireline internet subscriber base of 9.54 million, while its smaller public sector peer closed the month with a subscriber base of 0.95 million. MTNL is the fourth largest wireline internet services provider in the country in terms of subscriber base.

    Overall broadband internet service providers

    The top five broadband service providers (wireless and wireline) constituted 91.64 percent market share of the total broadband subscribers at the end of Sep-17. These service providers were Jio (138.62 million), Airtel (62.29 million), Vodafone (45.98 million), Idea Cellular (29.61 million) and BSNL (21.24 million).

    Top five wireless broadband internet service providers

    As on 30 September 2017, the top five wireless broadband service providers were Jio (138.62 million), Airtel (60.17 million), Vodafone (45.97 million), Idea Cellular (29.61 million) and Reliance Communications (8.98 million).

    After Jio, Vodafone added the second largest number of wireless subscribers – 2.42 million or 28.5 percent of the total subscribers added in September 2017. Airtel added 21.4 million or the third largest number of wireless subscribers (25.2 percent while Idea cellular added 0.15 million wireless internet subscribers.

    Other broadband internet service providers

    Multi-system operators (MSOs) and local cable operators (LCOs) or cable video service providers also provide wired broadband internet services in the country. These cable service providers have a number of subsidiaries and alliances, hence broadband numbers are split as applicable. The consolidated subscription numbers of these entities could be larger than the numbers of some of the wired internet services providers mentioned above. However, it must be noted that some of these MSOs and LCOs could have lost subscribers in September 2017, considering the fact that the top five wired broadband internet services providers have lost only 0.05 million of the 0.106 million wireline internet subscribers in September 2017.

  • After telecom, Jio to bite into broadband and TV

    After telecom, Jio to bite into broadband and TV

    MUMBAI: After disrupting the telecom sector, Muskesh Ambani led Reliance Jio is now heading towards the fixed broadband and television space.

    The company will launch high speed fibre to the home (FTTH) broadband in more than 30 cities early next year, to offer TV as well as internet to subscribers, it is learnt.

    As reported by Business Standard, Jio has mapped out a plan to address over 100 million TV households across these cities, including tier II and III, by ensuring dense fibre presence for last-mile connectivity to homes. In the first phase itself, at least 50 million households will be offered the service, according to sources in the know.

    Jio has already spread out over 300,000 kilometres of optic fibre (half of which is through a long-term contract with Anil Ambani’s Reliance Communications).

    In his annual speech, Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani indicated that Jio was on track to offer high-speed broadband services. The infrastructure was in place and it would be the next big monetisation opportunity for the company, he had said.

    According to the news report, Jio is expected to woo customers with premium offers such as ultra-high speed of up to 1 gigabit per second. The set-top box, as part of the package, will be a home entertainment hub – offering TV channels, high-end gaming and video on demand, among others.

    Jio is eyeing an average revenue per user of around Rs 1000 to Rs 1500 per month from subscribers (which includes internet and TV), as their usage of data goes up, a source said.

    Trials are being conducted in Mumbai and Delhi with only internet services at speeds of 100 megabits per second and 100 gigabytes of data free of cost. It is providing a special router, which connects multiple devices at a refundable deposit of Rs 4500. With a multi-service operator (MSO) licence in place, it will also offer TV services.

    Representatives of conventional TV industry cite numbers to back their claim that this is a tough game. While there are 180 million TV households in the country, subscribers fork out an average of only Rs 300- 400 a month for as many as 400 to 500 channels currently, they say.

    Competitors also say that currently, only three million subscribers cough up over Rs 1000 for high-speed broadband internet and only two million rustle up a similar amount per month for DTH or cable. So, the market that Jio is looking to address is currently niche and a small one.

    “Deploying FTTH is an expensive business and obviously Jio is making large investments. So, they have to get an adequate return on their investments. They might offer free broadband like they are doing currently and as they did earlier in the mobile space,” said a top industry executive to BS. But they will have to increase tariffs to make money and that might not translate into mass adoption.

    If the experiment succeeds, the number of households with TV and broadband, currently growing very slowly, could just explode, he said.

  • Broadband ops remain with Tata as it sells mobile biz to Airtel; may be merged with DTH

    Broadband ops remain with Tata as it sells mobile biz to Airtel; may be merged with DTH

    MUMBAI: The telecom industry in India, especially the small operators such as Tata Teleservices, has been facing a debilitating price war since Reliance Jio came onto the scene.

    Bharti Airtel is now buying Tata Teleservices’s consumer mobile business in a cash-free, debt-free deal but the latter plans to stay connected with the broadband and landline businesses. The proposed deal will leave out Tata’s enterprise, fixed-line and broadband operations.

    No doubt, consolidation of this kind is common in the western markets — for example, Liberty merged its Netherlands cable TV and broadband business with Vodafone’s mobile services.

    With a subscriber base of 44 million and revenue market share (RMS) of five per cent at June quarter-end, Tata is selling the mobile business to India’s largest telecom operator almost for free as part of the chairman’s plan to exit operations which had been a prolonged drag on group profitability.

    Tata Sons is also in initial stages of exploring a combination of the enterprise business with Tata Communications Ltd and its retail fixed line and broadband business with Tata Sky. Any such transaction will be subject to respective boards and other requisite approvals, the companies said in a statement.

    Airtel’s acquisition of Tata business will give the former spectrum as well as a larger subscriber base so as to vie with Jio and the Idea-Vodafone combine. It will strengthen Airtel’s position as compared to Jio, as the former will get access to 178.5 MHz spectrum (of which 71.3 MHz is “free to trade”) in the 850 MHz , 1,800 MHz and 2,100MHz bands.

    Tata’s enterprise business, which caters to SMEs, could be combined with the listed Tata Communications, which is in a similar space but caters to big corporates.

    Airtel will now absorb Tata’s mobile phone operations across India in 19 circles. On merger, Airtel’s subscriber base is expected to expand to 350 million as against the combined Idea-Vodafone’s projected 390 million. Airtel’s RMS is also expected to reach 40 per cent in September, a little short of the combined 42 per cent of Idea-Vodafone.

    “The acquisition of additional spectrum made an attractive business proposition. It will further strengthen our already solid portfolio and create substantial long-term value for our shareholders given the significant synergies,” Airtel chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said in the statement.

    ALSO READ :

    Wireline broadband subs base falls, overall broadband subs base grows

    June: Jio & ACT lead wireless, wired broadband subs growth

    ACT still leads in wired sub addition, Idea & BSNL lose wireless subs

    Jio Fiber & Airtel gear up for broadband plans

  • Indian-American Ajit Pai reappointed FCC chairman in US Senate split vote

    Indian-American Ajit Pai reappointed FCC chairman in US Senate split vote

    MUMBAI: The US Senate has confirmed the nomination of Indian-American Ajit Pai as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman for the second time despite complaints that he will undermine net neutrality. Pai, whose term was to end later this year, was reappointed for a five-year term after getting a majority of 52-41, with most of the Democrats voting against him.

    Pai was designated chairman by the President Donald J. Trump in January 2017. He had previously served as the commissioner at the FCC.

    Pai’s regulatory philosophy is informed by a few simple principles. Rules that reflect these principles will result in more innovation, more investment, better products and services, lower prices, more job creation, and faster economic growth.

    Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer accused Pai of establishing a record of favouring big corporations at the expense of consumers, innovators and small businesses. Pai, he said, supported Congressional attempts to reverse the FCC’s 2016 broadband privacy rule, which would have prevented big cable and internet companies from profiting off of personal internet data.

    He complained that internet service providers no longer have to obtain consumer consent before they sell or share sensitive personal data.

    Pai, he alleged, is now attempting to dismantle the Open Internet Order, the net neutrality rules under which millions of consumers currently have access to a free and open internet.

    Defending his work, Pai said: “Since January (2017), the FCC has focused on bridging the digital divide, promoting innovation, protecting consumers and public safety, and making the FCC more open and transparent.”

  • Hoichoi original adult-comedy Dupur Thakurpo campaign launched

    Hoichoi original adult-comedy Dupur Thakurpo campaign launched

    MUMBAI: In the run-up to Hoichoi’s launch, SVF has rolled out an innovative social media campaign to promote its upcoming original web series, an adult-comedy, Dupur Thakurpo.

    The campaign, which highlights the personalities of some major characters from the much anticipated show, has just gone live on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. It asks users to choose one of the several interesting Thakurpos (Devars or brothers-in-law) that would be most deserving of the newly arrived Uma Boudi’s affection (‘Boudi’ is the Bengali name for sister-in-law).

    Not only will the campaign tickle the funny bones of Bengalis, it will also create intrigue and anticipation for each and every Thakurpo in the Hoichoi Original web series.

    There are the six Thakurpos seeking Uma Boudi’s attention:

    1.     CD – Chitrobhanu Dutta, who wants to be Quentin Tarantino, the popular American Director, but has only 2 or 3 B-grade music videos to show as accomplishments.

    2.     Choco – Kajol Chakraborty is a physiotherapist who utilises his profession to fulfil his dark fantasies.

    3.     Kinky – Kinkar Sanyal has a secret import business of women’s undergarments. His favourite pastime is fantasizing about women in lingerie.  

    4.     Shomes – Aniruddha Shome thinks of himself as every Bengali’s Byomkesh Bakshi and every Englishman’s Sherlock Holmes, and thus has an investigative eye towards everything (basically, he is suspicious all the time!)

    5.     Phantom – Ashrafi is a cricketer from Bihar, who orders lassi in a pub.

    6.     MTV – Moral Tanu Bhaduri is an ambitious singer who unfortunately gets no producer.

    Director Debaloy Bhattacharya says, “The word ‘Dupur Thakurpo’ has always been there in our culture…a forbidden word, it has never been explored. Now, we are indulging in the stories and characters that show how the Boudi and Thakurpo relation can be so vibrant. The Arabs had their nights and the Bengalis their ‘dupur’.

    Dupur Thakurpo revolves around Indralok, a house situated in North Kolkata which is infused with new life as Jibon babu brings home a beautiful, young and vivacious bride, Uma. However, he is blissfully oblivious of the trouble likely to brew when a love-smitten Jibon babu agrees to let out three rooms to six young men on Uma’s insistence. Some not-so-appropriate things start happening. Five of them are completely enamored by Uma Boudi’s charms, ready to lay down their lives for a smile or a glance from her, while she plays around with them like a fiddle.

    Amidst this sexual tension and cuckoldry, Indralok is full of life, adventure, fun, frolic and fantasy.

    This series is one of the several entertaining and unique original web series being created with the best concepts, cast and crew of Bengali entertainment, exclusively for Hoichoi. It will be available on the App and Website.

    Dupur Thakurpo stars Swastika Mukherjee as Uma Boudi, Abhijit Guha as Jibon Babu, Anindya Chatterjee as CD, Indrajit Mazumder as Choco, Soumendra Bhattacharya as MTV, Kartikeya Tripathi as Shomes, Apratim Chatterjee as Kinky and Taufeeq Ahmed as Phantom.  

  • Airtel forges partnership with Korean mobile broadband co SK Telecom

    Airtel forges partnership with Korean mobile broadband co SK Telecom

    MUMBAI: India’s largest telecommunications services provider Airtel will partner Korea’s SK Telecom to potentially create the country’s finest telecom network and leapfrog into being a next-gen future-ready telco.

    The partnership will work across several areas including developing bespoke software to dramatically improve network experience, leveraging advanced digital tools including machine learning, big data and building customised tools to improve network planning based on every customer’s device experience. The capacity to identify, monitor and deliver improvements to the network experience on an individual device basis will be a first in India, helped by SK Telecom’s global leadership in this area.

    The two companies will also collaborate on an on-going basis to evolve standards for 5G, Network Functions Virtualization (NFV), Software-defined Networking (SDN) and Internet of Things (loT), and jointly work towards building an enabling ecosystem for the introduction of these technologies in the Indian context.

    Bharti Airtel chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said, “This partnership will bring an improved experience to Airtel customers in India by leveraging the expertise of a company that has built one of the best mobile broadband networks in the world.”

    “We will work closely with Bharti to achieve new network innovations so as to deliver a greater value to Bharti’s customers,” SK Telecom president and CEO Park Jung-ho.