ITV

Category: Telecom

  • Need to revisit licensing framework for broadband, broadcasting & IT sector: Trai’s chairman P D Vaghela

    Need to revisit licensing framework for broadband, broadcasting & IT sector: Trai’s chairman P D Vaghela

    Mumbai: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) chairman P D Vaghela recently in a conclave said that there is a need to revisit the licensing framework and governance structure of broadband, broadcasting and IT sector,

    Vaghela was addressing a conclave organised by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and Telecommunications Standards Development Society, India (TSDSI).

    He remarked that the boundaries between broadcasting and telecom industries have blurred due to the advent of digital media. The revised licensing framework should be light-touch, formulated and the government should intervene only if required.

    The chairman highlighted that multiple authorities are involved for permission in the broadcast and telecommunications sector leading to the overlapping of functions. For example, internet protocol television (IPTV) permissions are granted by the department of telecommunications (DoT) as well as the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB). For policy decisions, there are multiple authorities such as DoT, MIB, the ministry of electronics and IT and the department of space.

    Vaghela stated that there was a need for redefining the role of market players such as service providers, infrastructure providers and cable operators in the new market structure.

    He said, “In addition to telecom and broadcasting, the over-the-top (OTT) world may also have to be factored in while carrying out required reforms. A robust and holistic technology-neutral regulatory and policy framework is required to regulate the newly converged environment of broadcasting and broadband services. The policy should also align the corresponding business processes with regard to the issuance of all broadcasting and cable service licences for better synergy and ease of doing business.”

    With technological advancement, it is now possible for broadband networks to offer broadcasting services and vice versa. “With content consumption in India shifting to smartphones and video consumption becoming a key driver of mobile data growth, it becomes imperative to bring direct broadcasting capabilities to mobile phones. It is anticipated that broadcast capable smartphones and mobile phones will be able to stream multiple high-quality video and audio services optimally utilising valuable spectrum and easing the burden on our cellular networks,” he concluded.

  • Trai extends deadline for comments on consultation paper related to new regulatory framework

    Trai extends deadline for comments on consultation paper related to new regulatory framework

    Mumbai: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has decided to extend the deadline for receiving comments and counter comments on the consultation paper regarding the issues related to the new regulatory framework for broadcasting and cable services.

    The deadline has been extended until 6 June for comments and until 13 June for counter comments.

    Trai decided to extend the deadline after it received requests from stakeholders for an extension of time for the submission of comments on the consultation paper.

    Trai released the consultation paper on 7 May and the last day for receiving comments on the issues raised in the consultation paper was set as 30 May for comments and 6 June for counter comments.

  • Bharti Airtel launches new broadband plans for connected TV homes

    Bharti Airtel launches new broadband plans for connected TV homes

    Mumbai: Bharti Airtel on Monday announced the launch of new bundled plans for its home broadband customers. The highest tier plan at Rs 1,599 includes subscriptions to Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+ Hotstar. All the plans include subscriptions to 14 OTT (over-the-top) platforms and 350 TV channels and speeds up to 300 mbps.

    The new Airtel Xstream fiber broadband plans include single-login access to the OTT platforms SonyLIV, Eros Now, Lionsgate Play, Hoichoi, ManoramaMax, ShemarooMe, Ultra, Hungama Play, EpicOn, DivoTV, Klikk, Nammaflix, Dollywood and Shorts TV for customers who purchase the Airtel 4K Hybrid TV Box.

    The home broadband market has grown by 2X while the number of OTT has jumped from 9 in 2012 to 40+ in 2021. Bharti Airtel has launched the new bundle plans keeping in mind the entertainment needs of connected TV homes.  

    Bharti Airtel CEO – homes Vir Inder Nath said, “Our new plans are built for India’s emerging entertainment needs. Through these bundle offers we plan to offer our discerning customers great value, convenience and unlock a multi-faceted digital experience.”

    “Increased broadband consumption in Indian homes has given rise to the phenomena of hybrid viewing, where families are looking to consume OTT content on the TV screen along with linear TV without the hassle of managing multiple subscriptions and devices,” he said in a statement.

  • DTH business continues to see headwinds: Airtel CEO Gopal Vittal

    DTH business continues to see headwinds: Airtel CEO Gopal Vittal

    MUMBAI: At Bharti Airtel’s fourth quarter 2022 results CEO Gopal Vittal noted that the DTH business continues to see headwinds.

    During the company’s Q4 FY22 earnings conference call, Vittal said, “While the category continues to see a significant long-term opportunity for upgradation from cable, it’s also a classic case of an industry that has been brought to its knees due to excessive regulation”.  

    “The new tariff order brought about by TRAI a few years ago mandated every miniscule aspect of pricing in an industry which was managed until then very simply through forbearance. This created an overwhelming amount of complexity for the DTH players and even more importantly for the customer with no benefit to any stakeholder”, he further elaborated.

    Vittal added, “The second aspect of skewed regulation is to do with the very same content being made available for free. This is what happens on free-to-air channels and there is, mind you, very good content in many cases here with just windowing or it is being made available on the same screen through a broadband pipe at unregulated prices. This is what happens on OTT platforms. As a result, the DTH industry has been crippled.”

    “We are glad to see that TRAI has just come out with a new consultation paper on tariffs and we hope that at the end of this consultation, regulations will be lightened so that we can focus on what we do best, keep things simple and serve customers,” he added.

    Further, talking about the results he said, “during the year the company added Rs 13,440 crores to the top line and just under Rs 8,150 crores of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization to our India business alone. Beyond these numbers, what was even more satisfying is that we grew competitively in every part of our business; mobility, broadband, DTH and Airtel business grew market share to reach lifetime highs.”

    Vittal also explained the reason behind increasing tariffs. “We challenged ourselves to find a way to expand the reach of our home broadband presence after Covid and cracked an extremely innovative partnership with thousands of local cable operators using our digital promise. We strengthened our portfolio in airtel business through innovations in cPaaS and Airtel Secure. We continue to invest over Rs 20,400 crores into CapEx across our network, data centers, submarine cable capacities, and digital. Finally, we strengthened our partnerships. Use Airtel JV, the investment into level for SD-WAN, which is a software-defined wide-area network, for blockchain, Oracle for data centers, and Google as a strategic equity partner,” he added.

     

  • Q4 FY22: Bharti Airtel posts revenues of Rs 31,500 crore

    Q4 FY22: Bharti Airtel posts revenues of Rs 31,500 crore

    Mumbai: Telecom major Bharti Airtel has reported fourth quarter FY 2022 revenues of Rs 31,500 crore, up by 22.3 per cent year-on-year. The company’s consolidated net income stood at Rs 2,008 crore.

    The company reported consolidated revenue of Rs 116,567 crore up by 20.2 per cent YoY and consolidated net income of Rs 4,255 crore.

    The company’s India business posted quarterly revenues of Rs 22,500 crore, up 22.7 per cent YoY. The company’s mobile business grew by 25.1 percent on account of increase in average revenue per user (ARPU). The ARPU for the quarter stood at Rs 178 versus Rs 145 in the corresponding quarter last year.

    The company added 21.5 million 4G customers in the last year and has surpassed over 200 million 4G customers. The average data usage per data customer stood at 18.8 Gbs/month and voice usage per customer stood at 1083 minutes. Its home business segment revenues grew by 45.8 per cent YoY and customer net additions grew by ~323K during the quarter to reach a base of 4.5 million. Its digital TV business had a customer base of 17.6 million at the end of the quarter. Airtel Business grew by 12.9 per cent YoY. Airtel reported 189 million monthly active users (MAUs) across its digital assets including Thanks, Mynk and Xstream.

    “This has been another quarter to cap a full year of consistent and competitive performance across our portfolio,” said Bharti Airtel MD and CEO India and South Asia Gopal Vittal. “Our consolidated revenues for the quarter grew by 5.5 per cent and EBITDA margins expanded to 50.8 per cent, underscoring our focus on all round delivery. The mobile business revenues were up 9.5 per cent as we saw the full flow through of tariff increase. Airtel continues to have the highest ARPU at Rs 178. Our Homes and enterprise business continue to exhibit very strong growth momentum, reflecting the resilience of our overall portfolio. Our strong balance sheet and cash flows have enabled us to further repay some of our spectrum liabilities ahead of schedule and improve our leverage.”

    He further said, “We continue to remain optimistic about the opportunities in the coming years and believe we are well poised as a company for three reasons. First, our ability to execute consistently to a simple strategy of winning with quality customers and delivering the best experience to them. Second, our future proofed business model with massive investments in both infrastructure and digital capabilities. Finally, our financial prudence backed by our strong governance focus.”

  • Stakeholders can send feedback to TRAI’s recommendations on MSO’s platform services by 23 May

    Stakeholders can send feedback to TRAI’s recommendations on MSO’s platform services by 23 May

    MUMBAI: TRAI has announced on Friday that any stakeholder desirous of sending their views/comments/suggestions on the proposed Regulatory Framework for Platform Services offered by MSOs and TRAI’s recommendations can do so through email by 23 May.

    TRAI has clarified that views/comments/suggestions sought are only with respect to Platform Services offered by MSOs.

    In February last year, TRAI had recommended that MSOs be allowed to carry no more than 15 platform channels. Platform channels are channels or services offered by MSOs, local cable operators (LCOs) and DTH operators exclusively to their subscribers as value-added services.

    TRAI had recommended that programmes transmitted by the DTH operators or MSOs or IPTV operators as a platform service shall be exclusive and the same shall not be permitted to be shared directly or indirectly with any other DPO.

    “In case the same programme is found available on the platform service of any other DPO, MIB/TRAI may issue directions to immediately stop the transmission of such a programme. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) also reserves the right for cancellation of registration of such platform service of the DTH operator/MSOs/IPTV operator,” TRAI had said in its recommendations document on 2 February 2021.

    TRAI had first issued recommendations on Regulatory Framework for Platform Services for DTH and MSOs back in 2014.

  • Vodafone Idea loses 2.81 million wireless subscribers in March: Trai

    Vodafone Idea loses 2.81 million wireless subscribers in March: Trai

    Mumbai: Bharti Airtel added 2.25 million wireless subscribers in the month of March, as per data by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai). Reliance Jio added 1.26 million wireless subscribers and Vodafone Idea lost 2.81 million wireless subscribers during the same period, the data revealed.

    The total number of wireless subscribers increased from 1141.53 million to 1142.09 million in March. The wireless subscription in urban areas decreased from 625.19 million to 624.23 million, however, wireless subscription in rural areas increased from 516.34 million to 517.86 million during the same period.

    As per Trai data, there were 1021.29 million active wireless subscribers during the month of March accounting for 89.42 per cent of the total wireless subscriber base. Reliance Jio had 378.95 million active wireless subscribers followed by Bharti Airtel at 355.78 million and Vodafone Idea at 226.08 million. BSNL had 59.82 million active wireless subscribers.

    As per information from 653 operators, Trai reported an increase in total broadband subscribers from 783.37 million to 788.30 million in March. Out of these, 759.87 million were mobile device users, 27.25 million were wired subscribers and 1.18 million were fixed wireless subscribers i.e. Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Max, Point-to-Point and VSAT (very small aperture terminal).

    The top five broadband service providers were Reliance Jio at 409.28 million, Bharti Airtel at 215.27 million, Vodafone Idea at 122.48 million, BSNL at 27.19 million and Atria Convergence at 2.08 million and accounted for 98.48 per cent of the market.

    The top five wired broadband service providers were Reliance Jio at 5.28 million, Bharti Airtel at 4.53 million, BSNL at 3.85 million, Atria Convergence Technologies at 2.08 million and Hathway Cable and Datacom at 1.11 million.

    The top five wireless broadband service providers were Reliance Jio at 403.99 million, Bharti Airtel at 210.75 million, Vodafone Idea at 122.48 million, BSNL at 23.34 million and Intech Online at 0.21 million.

    The number of telephone subscribers increased from 1166.05 million to 1166.93 million. Urban telephone subscriptions decreased from 647.76 million to 647.11 million and rural subscriptions increased from 518.29 million to 519.82 million in March.

    Wireline subscribers increased from 24.52 million to 24.84 million in March.

  • Vi launches prepaid pack offering SonyLIV premium subscription

    Vi launches prepaid pack offering SonyLIV premium subscription

    Mumbai: Vi has announced a partnership with over-the-top platform SonyLIV. The telco has launched a new prepaid pack offering subscription of SonyLIV premium along with extra data benefits to users.

    Vi has introduced a new add-on recharge of Rs 82 for prepaid users, offering free mobile only subscription of SonyLIV premium for 28 days along with an added data benefit of 4 gb with 14 days validity.

    Vi users can watch sports properties like UEFA Champions League, WWE, Bundesliga, UFC to originals like “Scam 1992 – The Harshad Mehta Story,” “Maharani,” “Tabbar,” “Rocket Boys,” “Gullak Season 3,” regional content like “Salute”, “Kaanekkaane,” “Shantit Kranti” and “James” and international shows “The Good Doctor,” “Fantasy Island” and “Magpie Murders.”

    Vi also offers a vast content library for its customers under Vi Movies and TV on the Vi app. The app has more than 450 live TV channels, live news channels and premium content from other OTT apps.

  • Trai seeks views of stakeholders on new tariff order

    Trai seeks views of stakeholders on new tariff order

    Mumbai: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has issued a consultation paper on issues related to the new regulatory framework for broadcasting and cable services. The regulatory body has invited stakeholders to express their written comments on the issues in the consultation paper by 30 May and counter comments by 6 June.

    In December 2021, Trai formed a committee consisting of members from the Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation (IBDF), All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF) and DTH Association to deliberate on the various issues related to the implementation of the New Regulatory Framework 2020.

    Implementation of tariff order

    The stakeholders’ committee identified several issues related to New Regulatory Framework 2020 for consideration and requested Trai to immediately address the critical issues which could create impediments to the smooth implementation of the tariff order.

    To summarise the issues, Trai addressed seven questions to stakeholders concerning the ‘New Tariff Framework 2020’ in the consultation paper as follows:

    1. Should Trai continue to prescribe a ceiling price of a channel for inclusion in a bouquet?

    A. If yes, please provide the maximum retail price (MRP) of a television channel as a ceiling for inclusion in a bouquet. Please provide details of calculations and methodology followed to derive such ceiling price.

    B. If not, what strategy should be adopted to ensure the transparency of prices for a consumer and safeguard the interest of consumers from perverse pricing?

    2. What steps should be taken to ensure that popular television channels remain accessible to a large segment of viewers. Should there be a ceiling on the MRP of pay channels? Please provide your answer with full justifications/reasons.

    3. Should there be a ceiling on the discount on the sum of a-la-carte prices of channels forming part of bouquets while fixing MRP of bouquets by broadcasters? If so, what should be the appropriate methodology to work out the permissible ceiling on discounts? What should be the value of such a ceiling?

    A. Should channel prices in bouquets be homogeneous? If yes, what should be appropriate criteria for ensuring homogeneity in pricing the channels to be part of the same bouquet?

    B. If not, what measures should be taken to ensure an effective a-la-carte choice which can be made available to consumers without being susceptible to perverse pricing of bouquets?

    C. Should the maximum retail price of an a-la-carte pay channel forming bouquet be capped regarding the average prices of all pay channels forming the same bouquet? If so, what should be the relationship between the capped maximum price of an a-la-carte channel forming the bouquet and the average price of all the pay channels in that bouquet? Or else, suggest any other methodology by which the relationship between the two can be established and consumer choice is not distorted.

    5. Should any other condition be prescribed for ensuring that a bouquet contains channels with homogeneous prices? Please provide your comments with justifications.

    6. Should there be any discount, in addition to the distribution fee, on MRP of a-la-carte channels and bouquets of channels to be provided by broadcasters to DPOs? If yes, what should be the amount and terms and conditions for providing such a discount?

    7. Stakeholders may provide their comments with full details and justification on any other matter relating to the issues raised in the present consultation.

    Trai notified stakeholders of the regulations under the New Regulatory Framework 2020 on 1 January 2020. As per the regulations, Trai allowed for 200 SD channels for the maximum price of Rs 130. It also necessitated that in multi-TV homes distributed platform operators (DPOs) charge a network capacity fee (NCF) for any subsequent TV connection that cannot be more than 40 per cent of the NCF for the first TV.

    The regulations also mandated that only channels with MRP of Rs 12 could be a part of a bouquet. It also called for reasonable pricing of a-la-carte channels and bouquets by providing twin conditions

    a) the sum of the a-la-carte rates of the pay channels (MRP) forming part of a bouquet shall in no case exceed one and half times the rate of the bouquet of which such pay channels are a part and

    b) the a-la-carte rates of each pay channel (MRP), forming part of a bouquet, shall in no case exceed three times the average rate of a pay channel of the bouquet of which such pay channel is a part. In a ruling dated 30 June 2021, the Bombay high court struck down the second twin condition after a challenge issued by broadcasters.

    “The provisions related to Network Capacity Fee (NCF), multi-TV homes and long-term subscriptions of New Regulatory Framework 2020, have already been implemented and due benefits are being passed on to the consumer at large,” said Trai in its statement.

    Pricing of channels

    However, Trai noted, that reference interconnection offers (RIOs) filed by broadcasters, listing the MRP and bouquet price of their channels, reflected a common trend. The broadcasters priced their most popular channels including sports channels beyond Rs 20 per month keeping them out of the bouquet. “The revised RIOs as filed indicate a wide-scale changes in the composition of almost all the bouquets being offered,” said Trai.

    After the RIOs were filed, Trai received representations from DPOs, local cable operators (LCOs) and consumer organisations. The DPOs highlighted the difficulties faced by them in implementing the new rates in the system and migrating the consumers to the new tariff regime through the informed exercise of options impacting almost all bouquets.

    This paper primarily discusses issues related to discounts given in the formation of the bouquet, the ceiling price of channels for inclusion in the bouquet, and discounts offered by broadcasters to DPOs in addition to distribution fees.

  • MotoGP renews partnership with Tata Communications

    MotoGP renews partnership with Tata Communications

    Mumbai: Tata Communications and Dorna Sports have renewed their multi-year strategic collaboration to bring MotoGP to its fans worldwide. Dorna Sports is the exclusive commercial and television rights holder of the FIM MotoGP World Championship.

    Tata Communications media edge services will allow MotoGP to continue to ensure excellent video quality, coupled with tremendous speed, delivering the race live from the track to the viewers’ screens in just a few tenths of a second.

    Tata Communications and Dorna teams will also boost migration from an onsite traditional media production to a remote production that will culminate in a future cloud-based model, increasing the number of video signals from 60 to 110 – some in ultra-low latency – providing more content to the viewers, and enabling the innovation of remotely produced immersive sound.

    These remote production capabilities, combined with the global video content delivery network, will also enable increased remote broadcasting of live track action, supporting the increased sustainability and long-term environmental objectives of MotoGP and Dorna Sports as both continue to work together on world-leading and world-changing technological solutions.

    Tata Communications and Dorna have also been working together to leverage private LTE deployment at race tracks to manage wireless camera feeds in low latency and the highest quality possible, bringing even more incredible content to viewers around the world.

    “Tata Communications has been pivotal in enabling us to bring immersive live race action to our millions of fans around the world,” said Dorna Sports chief commercial officer Manel Arroyo. “Together, we’ve pushed the boundaries of innovation in sports broadcasting, increasingly bringing our global fans closer to their favourite sport.”

    He further added, “With this renewed collaboration, we trust Tata Communications to help us take the fan experience even further, using cutting edge technology to deliver an incredible experience for fans at home, which is as enthralling as watching the races on tracks.”

    “MotoGP represents the best in global motorsports today,” said Tata Communications global head of media and entertainment services Dhaval Ponda. “Fuelled by our deep broadcast experience, video engineering pedigree and passion for technological advancements, we’re proud to extend this relationship to further accelerate the fan experience. Together, we’ll continue to co-create and elevate the viewing experiences for the legions of passionate motorcycle racing fans globally.”