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Tag: Airtel Digital TV

  • Q1-2015: Airtel Digital TV y-o-y revenue grows 21 per cent, subscriber base up 11 per cent

    Q1-2015: Airtel Digital TV y-o-y revenue grows 21 per cent, subscriber base up 11 per cent

    BENGALURU: India headquartered communications giant Bharti Airtel Limited (Airtel)’s digital TV (DTH)segment reported a y-o-y growth in revenue of 21 per cent to Rs 591.5 crore as compared to the year ago revenue of Rs 490 crore. The DTH segment’s contribution to Airtel’s Indian and South Asian (India & SA) revenue of Rs 16201.9 crore in Q1-2015 was 4 per cent. Airtel’s India & SA revenue forms 71 per cent of the company’s global revenue of Rs 22961.6 crore in the quarter.

     

    Note: (1) Rs 100 lakh = Rs100,00,000 = Rs 1 crore = Rs 10 million.

     

    Airtel’s DTH segment reported  11 per cent jump in its net subscriber base to 93.88 lakh in Q1-2015 from 84.52 lakh in Q1-2014 and a 4.2 per cent rise from the 90.12 lakh in Q4-2014. Q-o-q the subscriber base grew by 3.76 lakh says the company.

     

    Airtel’s DTH segment reported average revenue (Arpu) of Rs 214, which was 5 per cent more than the Rs 203 in Q4-2014 and 9 per cent more than the Rs 195 in the corresponding quarter of last fiscal.

     

    Airtel’s DTH segment reported a monthly subscriber churn of 0.6 per cent in Q1-2015 and Q1-2014, as compared to 0.9 per cent in Q4-2014.

     

    The DTH segment’s EBITDA for the quarter increased to Rs 143.7 crore as compared to Rs 76 crore in the corresponding quarter last year. EBIDTA margin improved significantly in Q1-2015 to 24.3 per cent as compared to a margin of 15.5 per cent in the corresponding quarter last year.  During the current quarter, the DTH segment incurred a capital expenditure of Rs 262.7 crore for higher procurement of boxes  for higher gross adds.  The DTH Segment’s cash burn during the quarter at Rs 119 crore has dropped, compared to Rs 147.9 crore in the corresponding quarter last year reports the company.

     

    Bharti Airtel’s consolidated highlights for the first quarter ended 30 June 2014

     

    Overall customer base stands at 29.99 million across 20 countries, up 9.1 per cent y-o-y.

     

    Consolidated total revenues at Rs 22,962 crore, up by 13.3 per cent y-o-y.

     

    India & South Asia (India SA) up 11.8 per cent; Africa up 17.5 per cent (INR terms) y-o-y.

     

    Consolidated Mobile Data revenue at Rs 2,204 crore, up by 73.9 per cent y-o-y; growth across geographies.

     

    Consolidated EBITDA at Rs 7,720 crore, up by 18.0 per cent y-o-y, EBITDA margin up 1.3 per cent y-o-y.

     

    India & SA EBITDA margin at 37.2 per cent, up by 3 per cent y-o-y.

     

    Net Income at Rs 1,108 crore, up by 60.9 per cent y-o-y.

  • DTH ops plea: Exclude content cost from AGR

    DTH ops plea: Exclude content cost from AGR

    MUMBAI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), last week, came out with the much needed recommendation paper on new DTH licences. The issue had come into light when India’s oldest DTH operator Dish TV was nearing the end of its 10 year licence that was given to it when it started operating.

     

    While the need for fresh and transparent rules came up, TRAI issued a consultation paper in October 2013 and it was just last week that it came up with its recommendation paper on the same. What most DTH operators were glad about was the reduction in the annual licence fee from 10 per cent of gross revenue (GR) to 8 per cent of adjusted gross revenue (AGR). This would mean that the DTH industry in all will save around Rs 200 crore to Rs 300 crore.

     

    The AGR is calculated after deducting service tax, sales tax and entertainment tax from the GR. TRAI states that since there has been growing convergence of telecom and broadcast, the 8 per cent is aligned to the unified licence (UL) in the telecom field. The recommendation paper states that in the UL, AGR is arrived at by excluding taxes and charges of ‘pass through’ nature. Even though TRAI states that there is no such charge of ‘pass through’ nature for DTH players, the latter disagrees.

     

    “We were hoping for either a 6 per cent of AGR or 8 per cent of AGR with ‘pass through’ of content cost,” says Videocon d2h CEO Anil Khera. When a few months ago, the Ministry had sent notices to all the DTH operators to pay the licence fee dues, they had taken the issue to court. Tata Sky CEO Harit Nagpal had then said that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had itself asked the Finance Ministry to reduce the fee from 10 per cent to 6 per cent.

     

    The paper says that two DTH operators had recommended that for calculating AGR, deduction should be made for not just service tax, sales tax and entertainment tax, but also for content costs, transponder costs, hardware sales revenue etc.

     

    Dish TV CEO and soon to be DTH Operators Association president RC Venkateish says that the fight for exclusion of content cost isn’t over yet. He says, “We will approach the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to press for content cost to be excluded from the AGR. Like we had said, either it should be removed or else the licence fee should be brought down to 6 per cent of AGR instead of the recommended 8 per cent of AGR.”

     

    The parliament was told in April 2013 that six private DTH operators paid Rs 307.8 crore as licence fee to the government for the year 2011-12. According to figures furnished in the reply to the Parliament, Tata Sky paid licence fee of Rs 79.3 crore in 2011-12 as against Airtel Digital’s Rs 61.87 crore and Dish TV’s Rs 30 crore. Sun Direct paid Rs 36 crore, Reliance Big TV paid Rs 9.5 crore, and Videocon d2h paid Rs 5 crore.

     

    For now, the recommendations are pending with the Ministry for approval.

  • TRAI extends DTH licence period to 20 years

    TRAI extends DTH licence period to 20 years

    MUMBAI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released its recommendations for a new DTH licensing regime today. As part of this, the period of DTH licence has been extended from the current 10 years to 20 years, renewable by 10 years at a time.

     

    The Regulator has said that the existing licence fee will be reduced from 10 per cent of gross revenue to 8 per cent of adjusted gross revenue, in line with the telecom licences.

     

    Also, the existing DTH licensees will be permitted to migrate to new regime at any time during the currency of the existing licences. Meanwhile, the one time entry fee has been retained at Rs 10 crore.

     

    The salient features of the recommended new DTH licensing regime are as follows:

     

    • The   period   of  DTH  license  to  be  increased  from   10  years to  20  years, renewable by 10 years at a time.

     

    • One time entry fee to be retained at Rs 10 crore.

     

    • Existing license fee to be reduced from 10 per cent of gross revenue (GR) to 8 per cent of adjusted gross revenue (AGR) in line with the telecom licenses.

     

    • The existing DTH licensees to be permitted to migrate to new regime at any time during the currency of their existing licenses.

     

    • BIS   to    come     out    with     updated     specifications for     STBs in consultation with TRAI which should be complied by DTH licensees.

     

    • The DTH licensees to be mandated to comply with the tariff order  scheme prescribed by TRAI for commercial inter-operability.

     

    The salient features of the Recommendation on Cross Holding/Control in the Broadcasting and Distribution Sectors are as follows:

     

    • Policy on Cross-holding/Control to be restructured to bring in uniformity in the broadcasting and distribution sectors.

     

    • Comprehensive definition of ‘control’ to be uniformly adopted in all segments of broadcasting and distribution sectors.

     

    • Relevant market for DTH to be the   entire country and   for MSO /HITS – State.

     

    • Broadcasters and Distribution Platform Operators (DPOs) – MSO /HITS  and DTH operators to be separate legal entities.

     

    Rationalised and regulated vertical integration to be permitted between broadcasters and DPOs.

     

    • Vertically integrated broadcaster(s) and DPO   to   be   subjected   to additional set of regulations.

     

    •A vertically integrated broadcaster to be permitted to control only one DPO.

     

    • A vertically integrated DPO to be restricted from controlling any other DPO of other category in the relevant market.

     

    • A vertically integrated DPO not to be permitted to acquire more than 33 per cent of the market share in the relevant market.

     

    The additional regulations for a vertically integrated broadcaster to include:

     

    • The   agreements with   the   DPOs   to be non-discriminatory and   on charge-per-subscriber (CPS) basis.

     

    • To file the   Reference Interconnect Offer (RIO) for approval by the Authority. All Interconnection Agreements to be only on the terms specified in the RIO.

     

    • To make disclosures as prescribed by the Authority.

     

    The  additional regulations for a vertically integrated DPO would  include:

     

    • DPO to declare its channel carrying capacity and not to reserve more than 15 per cent of this capacity for its vertically integrated broadcaster(s). Rest of the capacity to be offered to other broadcasters on non¬ discriminatory basis.

     

    • DPO   to   publish the   access fees   for carriage of channels over   its network.  The    charging of   the    access fees    should be   on   non­ discriminatory basis.

     

    • To make disclosures as prescribed by the Authority.

     

    • The   Authority  to  come   out   with   appropriate  Regulations/Orders for  the regulatory  framework  and  disclosures  after    the   government   takes  the   policy decision on  the  recommendations.

     

    Click here to read the full recommendation paper
  • Big Magic Bihar & Jharkhand now available on Airtel Digital TV

    Big Magic Bihar & Jharkhand now available on Airtel Digital TV

    MUMBAI: As part of its distribution-strengthening strategy, BIG MAGIC Bihar & Jharkhand the regional entertainment channel from the Reliance Broadcast Network stable, inks distribution deal with Airtel Digital TV becoming available on Channel No.628. Airtel Digital TV subscribers will now add to BIG MAGIC Bihar & Jharkhand’s massive reach as it spreads out to a larger diaspora across India.

     

    Backed with an aggressive distribution plan and an endeavor to reach its rich regionally rooted content, to discerning audiences across the country, the channel’s availability on the massive DTH platform – Airtel Digital TV is a step in this direction. With an eclectic content mix that encompasses a wide slate ranging fiction, crime, reality, music, devotion, movies and mythology, tailored to offer a wholesome family viewing experience, the Channel is primed to get a huge loyal audience base instantly. Viewers can now savour television shows coated with the regional flavor ranging Police Files, Hindustan ka BIG Star, Bhojpuri Films, BIG Memsaab, BIG Bahuria and upcoming reality show BIG Folk Star.

     

    Commenting on the development, Reliance Broadcast Television Business COO Lavneesh Gupta said, “We are a leading player in the regional market and have delivered excellent performance. We see a huge opportunity in catering to a larger diaspora by partnering with Airtel Digital TV and our endeavor is to reach our content mix to the discerning audiences spread across the length and breadth of India. We are proud to partner with them as yet another step in this direction.”

     

    BIG Magic Bihar and Jharkhand is currently available on Dish TV, Hathway, Incable, Manthan, Digicable, GTPL, Siti Cable, Maurya, DEN and other all independent operators.

                                  

           

  • Cisco expands reach in Indian digital homes

    Cisco expands reach in Indian digital homes

    KOLKATA: US technology major, Cisco has expanded its reach to more than 40 million digital homes across India with its video guard conditional access (CA) and digital rights management (DRM) solutions.

     

    Using the industry estimated average of five people per household, Cisco is now enabling a rich and advanced TV experience for more than 200 million viewers in India, an important milestone that  reinforces the company’s leadership at a time when the pay-TV industry is on the cusp of a major transformation, view the analysts.

     

    Cisco’s CA and DRM technology ensures critical protection of premium content with a zero piracy track record. A strong team of engineers working at the research and development center in Bangalore is dedicated to the technology needs of leading satellite and cable service providers in India and worldwide.

     

    Cisco is a pay-TV technology partner for more than 150 pay-TV operators as well as media and entertainment companies worldwide, including leading direct-to-home and cable operator customers in India, such as Airtel Digital TV, Asianet, DEN, GTPL, Hathway and Tata Sky.

     

    “In the changing landscape of pay-TV services in India, this milestone highlights our continued growth with several leading MSOs in the country,” said Cisco Service Provider Video Software Solutions vice president sales Asia Pacific Sue Taylor.

     

    Cisco India and SAARC president Dinesh Malkani said, “Achieving the milestone of 40 million homes in India reinforces our commitment to the government’s mandate to digitise the cable industry and also speaks of our ability to provide best in class solutions and technology. We work closely with our customers to enable them to provide an unparalleled experience to their subscribers as well as help monetise their investments.”

  • Airtel digital TV provides SVOD to Disney India

    Airtel digital TV provides SVOD to Disney India

    MUMBAI:  Airtel digital TV, the DTH service arm of global telecommunications company Bharti Airtel has joined hands with Disney India to launch English Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) Service – “Disney Family Movies”.

     

    It can be recalled that early in March this year, HBO had also launched its SVOD service on Tata Sky.

     

    The partnership between Airtel and Disney is aimed to enable the entire family with a never before experience of a one stop shop for popular Disney blockbusters. The new SVOD service on channel number 201 will showcase celebrated Disney movies including Hollywood classics, popular animation movies and live action titles like The Lion King, Aladdin, Pirates of the Caribbean series, Tangled, Alice in Wonderland along with award winning Disney PIXAR animation titles like UP, Toy Story, Cars and more.

     

    Under its SVOD portfolio, Airtel Digital TV showcases Regional, Bollywood and now Hollywood movies, making it one of the largest curators of movies offerings to its customers. The ‘Disney Family Movies’ will showcase English family entertainment movies back-to-back 24×7.

     

    To start with, the channel will showcase 20 new movies which will be replenished regularly. With the ongoing summer vacations, kids can enjoy a wide range of Disney’s celebrated classics, popular animation and live action titles at a subscription fee of only Rs 60 per month with only one ad break.

  • TDSAT again adjourns DTH licence fee case to 8 July on plea by operators

    TDSAT again adjourns DTH licence fee case to 8 July on plea by operators

    NEW DELHI: The petition by private direct-to-home (DTH) operators challenging the notice of the government for clearing arrears of licence fees has once again been adjourned – this time to 8 July – as the operators have still not filed their rejoinders to the reply by the government.

     

    The adjournment was allowed by Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) chairman Aftab Alam and Kuldeep Singh on a mention by counsel for the various DTH operators.

     
    TDSAT also noted that the earlier assurance by the government that it will not pressurise the operators in this regard till the case is taken up for hearing will continue.

     

    The petitioners have alleged that the demand by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry is contempt of court as the matter in this regard is pending in the Supreme Court.

     

    However, Information and Broadcasting Ministry secretary Bimal Julka had earlier told indiantelevision.com that the apex court had not issued any stay order. However, the government had filed a caveat in this regard, conscious that the TDSAT or the Supreme Court may be moved in the matter.

     
    The Ministry had recently sent a notice to the six private DTH operators with regard to licence fee dues amounting to Rs 2,066 crore. The private operators are Tata Sky, Dish TV, Airtel Digital TV, Reliance Big TV, Sun Direct and Videocon d2h.

     

    According to the notice, the six private operators had been asked to pay the amount within 15 days.

     
    However, most of the operators contacted said they had cleared the dues of licence fee.

     
    The operators say the licence fee as demanded under the rules is on gross revenue (GR) whereas they have been asked to pay the fee on the basis of Actual Gross Revenue (AGR). The operators have said the fee should be only on subscription revenue and not on allied earnings such as dividend and interest income. 
     

    Even as the matter was pending, Tata Sky had late last month made a payment of Rs 383 crore to the Ministry to cover its license fee and other dues. A demand draft of the amount was submitted to the Ministry. Even as other operators had said that they would prefer to wait till the next hearing.
     

    Tata Sky had then said that the amount covered license fee for the year 2013-14 according to the rate specified for license as well as past dues.

  • TDSAT adjourns DTH licence fee case to 22 May

    TDSAT adjourns DTH licence fee case to 22 May

    NEW DELHI: The petition by private direct-to-home (DTH) operators challenging the notice of the government for clearing arrears of licence fees was adjourned by the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) to 22 May.
     

    The DTH operators were given time by chairman Aftab Alam and Kuldeep Singh to file their rejoinders following the reply by the government.

     

    TDSAT also noted that the earlier assurance by the government that it will not pressurise the operators in this regard till the case is taken up for hearing will continue.

      
    Even as the petitioners have alleged that the demand by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry is contempt of court as the matter in this regard is pending in the Supreme Court, I&B secretary Bimal Julka had earlier told indiantelevision.com that the apex court had not issued any stay order.

     
    However, conscious that the TDSAT or the Supreme Court may be moved in the matter, a caveat had been filed by the Ministry in this regard.

     
    The Ministry had recently sent a notice to the six private DTH operators with regard to licence fee dues amounting to Rs 2,066 crore. The private operators are Tata Sky, Dish TV, Airtel Digital TV, Reliance Big TV, Sun Direct and Videocon d2h.

    According to the notice, the six private operators had been asked to pay the amount within 15 days.

     
    However, most of the operators contacted said they had cleared the dues of licence fee.

     
    The operators say the licence fee as demanded under the rules is on gross revenue (GR) whereas they have been asked to pay the fee on the basis of Actual Gross Revenue (AGR). The operators have said the fee should be only on subscription revenue and not on allied earnings such as dividend and interest income. 

     

    Meanwhile, Tata Sky late last month made a payment of Rs 383 crore to the Ministry to cover its license fee and other dues. A demand draft of the amount was submitted to the Ministry. Even as other operators had said that they would prefer to wait till the next hearing.

     
    This amount covers license fee for the year 2013-14 according to the rate specified for license as well as past dues, for which the Ministry had raised a demand note recently.

     

    TataSky MD and CEO Harit Nagpal had earlier said in a statement: “We hope that this will end the long standing dispute on the subject and pave the way forward for a constructive rationalisation of taxes with the support of our parent Ministry.” 

  • Tata Sky pays license fees of Rs 383 crore, Dish TV prefers to wait for court orders

    Tata Sky pays license fees of Rs 383 crore, Dish TV prefers to wait for court orders

    NEW DELHI: The direct-to-home (DTH) operator Tata Sky today made a payment of Rs 383 crore to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry (I&B) to cover its license fee and other dues.

     
    A demand draft of the amount was submitted to the Ministry, even as a petition to this regard is pending in the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) in this regard.

     
    This amount covers license fee for the year 2013-14 according to the rate specified for license as well as past dues, for which the Ministry had raised a demand note recently.

     
    TataSky MD and CEO Harit Nagpal said in a statement: “We hope that this will end the long standing dispute on the subject and pave the way forward for a constructive rationalisation of taxes with the support of our parent Ministry.”

     
    However, Dish TV CEO R C Venkateish told indiantelevision that the TDSAT in its hearing on 4 April had taken an assurance from the government that it would not pressurise the DTH operators in this regard until the next date of hearing on 6 May.

     
    He said that the government had been asked by TDSAT to respond to the petitions by the operators by the next date of hearing.

     
    Although TDSAT is expected to give time to the operators to file their respective rejoinders to the government’s reply, DTH industry sources said the Tribunal may give a directive with regard to the payment.

  • Only 56.8 % of registered subscribers on private DTH active by Dec 2013: TRAI

    Only 56.8 % of registered subscribers on private DTH active by Dec 2013: TRAI

    NEW DELHI: Only 35.81 million subscribers of the six private direct-to-home (DTH) service providers are active out of a total 62.97 million registered subscribers, working out to around 56.87 per cent. The private DTH players include: Tata Sky, Dish TV, Airtel Digital TV, Reliance Big TV, Sun Direct and Videocon d2h.

     

    According to the Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicator Report of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) for the quarter ending December 2013, a total of 782 private television channels and a total of 242 private FM radio channels were registered with the Information and Broadcasting Ministry (I&B).

     

    This is apart from the FM radio and TV channels operated by Prasar Bharati. Doordarshan has 37 channels including DD Bharati and DD National besides four allied channels like Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha TV, Prasar Bharati sources told indiantelevision.com. 

     

    AIR network has grown up to 299 stations and 461 transmitters (146 MW, 48 SW & 267 FM) which provide coverage to about 99.19 per cent of the country’s population spread over 91.87 per cent area of the country, these sources said.

     

    There are a total of 187 pay channels, as reported by the broadcasters/ distributors for which the rates have been taken on records at the QE December 2013.

     

    The report says the maximum number of TV channels (Pay, Free to Air and Local) being carried by any of the reported MSOs in digital form is 231, while that carried by any of the reported MSOs in the conventional analogue form is 100 channels.

     

    The report showed that of the total 238.71 million internet subscribers, broadband subscribers totaled 55.2 million and narrow band subscribers totaled 183.51 million.

     

    Of these, only 18.33 million were wired internet subscribers while 220.38 were wireless internet subscribers.  

     

    The study also shows that 92.13 per cent of the wireless internet subscribers were on mobile, while just 0.19 per cent were on fixed wireless mode. A total of 7.68 per cent of the internet subscribers were on wired mode.

     

    Meanwhile, the number of news and non-news channels has almost become equal with the government recently revealing it has so far given permission to a total of 786 television channels in the country.

     

    According to the statistics revealed by the I&B Ministry earlier this year, the number of news and current affairs channels is 389 while the number of non-news (general entertainment channels) is 397.

     

    Of the total, 664 TV channels including 369 news channels have been given permission to uplink and downlink from within the country.

     

    A total of 31 channels including 27 GECs are allowed to uplink from India but not downlink – thus they are aimed at other countries.

     

    A total of 91 channels uplinked from overseas are allowed to downlink into the country. These include 75 GECs.