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Tag: Airtel

  • Airtel launches hybrid DTH STB, to have 500+ channels, Netflix & YouTube preloaded

    MUMBAI: Airtel Digital TV, the DTH arm of Bharti Airtel, launched ‘Internet TV’ – India’s first hybrid STB, powered by Android TV, which brings the best of online content to the TV screen along with a bouquet of over 500 plus satellite TV channels. This marks yet another industry first from Airtel that has been at the forefront of innovation in the DTH category. 

    As reported by www.indiantelevision.com recently, Airtel ‘Internet TV’ transforms any TV into a Smart TV and enables users to switch seamlessly between online and linear TV content with a single device. With consumption of online content within Indian Homes increasing rapidly, Airtel ‘Internet TV’ will offer customers a superior experience by enabling them to enjoy their favourite content on the biggest screen in their Homes. 

    Customers can now stream and cast their favourite content directly on to their TV as well download their favourite apps and play games. All of this along with the best satellite TV experience with 500 plus satellite TV channels offers the complete Home entertainment experience.      

    Bharti Airtel CEO & director – DTH Sunil Taldar said, “Growing broadband penetration is driving the popularity of online content, particularly in urban homes, and with Airtel ‘Internet TV’ we are bringing world-class content from the web and much more to the TV screen. This latest innovation has been designed keeping in mind the needs of Indian homes and it bridges the gap between online and offline worlds to enable an end to end entertainment experience with the convenience of a single device. We will continue to add exciting content platforms to Airtel ‘Internet TV’ and invite customers to experience this innovative offering.”       

    Airtel ‘Internet TV’ comes preloaded with Netflix, YouTube, Google Play Music, Google Play Games, Airtel Movies and more. It also comes with access to Google Play Store that allows users to download their favourite apps, content and games on to their TV. 

    “India is one of the most important and vibrant countries in the world and we are delighted to be teaming up with Airtel to make it much easier for consumers to enjoy Netflix,” said Netflix co-founder and CEO Reed Hastings. “In the months and years to come, we look forward to bringing our Indian members more compelling stories from all over the world, an ever-improving viewing experience and incredible joy.”

    Airtel ‘Internet TV’ comes with inbuilt-Wi-Fi receiver, Bluetooth based remote control and is integrated with Google voice search feature. Customers can discover their favourite content by simply telling the remote and choose from a variety of content sources.

    Offering a clutter-free and intuitive interface, the sleek Airtel ‘Internet TV’ STB is 4K content ready and enables LIVE TV shows to be paused, recorded or even rewind. It also supports content via USB (external HD) and Bluetooth. Customers can also cast, mirror content from mobile devices, tablets and laptops on to the TV screen with Airtel ‘Internet TV’.  

    Gaming enthusiasts can make the most of the Internet TV with the best of gaming apps for an experience that is truly larger than life. Gamers can use physical game controllers, or even their smartphones as a game pad with Internet TV.

    Airtel ‘Internet TV’ STB requires a broadband or a 4G hotspot connection with a minimum recommended speed of 4 Mbps for a smooth online experience. A regular Airtel Digital TV dish antenna will also be a part of the installation. Existing Airtel Digital TV customers can also upgrade their existing STBs to ‘Internet TV’ STB.

    Airtel ‘Internet TV’ is priced at Rs. 4999/- with 3 month Digital TV subscription. Also, as limited period offer customers can pay Rs. 7999/- and get the Airtel Internet TV with one year subscription.  Airtel ‘Internet TV’ will be available exclusively on Amazon India starting April 12, 2017. It will be available via Airtel Digital TV touch points – retail stores/website/contact centers soon after online launch.

    Airtel has also rolled out bundled offers for its home broadband customers. ‘Internet TV’ Customers just need to register for myHOME on MyAirtel app and can avail upto 25GB additional data on their Airtel broadband account every month. 

    Also Read:

    Jio DTH & Airtel ‘hybrid’ reports gain currency

  • Taproot Dentsu innovates with Airtel’s life-saving wallpapers

    MUMBAI: Taproot Dentsu, the creative agency from Dentsu Aegis Network, has partnered with Airtel, India’s leading telecom service company, with an innovative solution for people who become unfortunate victims of accidents.

    In an accident or medical emergency, one may want to help, but there is no way a stranger can reach out to the victim’s family because the phone contacts are stuck behind pass codes. Howsoever a person wishes to be a Good Samaritan, this is one wall no one can get beyond.

    That’s where Taproot Dentsu’s innovation comes in. The Life Saving Wallpapers help everyone make mobile wallpapers with emergency contacts and blood group, so that that information remains accessible without having to unlock the screen. Dentsu WebChutney, Airtel’s Digital partner, supported the idea with flawless execution.

    Taproot Dentsu (Gurgaon) creative head Titus Upputuru adds, “At Dentsu Aegis Network, we are innovating the way brands are built in today’s world. In the unfortunate circumstance of an accident, when the victim becomes unconscious or is badly injured, there is no way people can reach out to the victim’s family and friends because the contacts are hidden behind the phone’s passcode. That’s where Airtel’s Lifesaving Wallpapers come handy. All the important data such as emergency contact numbers and blood group details are now available on the phone screen through the customized wallpapers, so that people can reach out to those who need to be contacted and help the victims. Across India, people are benefitting from this initiative. Who thought Wallpapers can save lives, but in today’s world it is possible.”

    Airtel Lifesaving Wallpapers is a mobile-first site, which embeds emergency info on mobile wallpapers, irrespective of your phone or network. It is provided to people via social media. The campaign is supported by social media posts, retail posters and other collaterals, at different points of contact with people at large.

    The idea won two Gold awards at the recently concluded Goa Fest 2017, India’s best advertising festival.

  • Jio DTH & Airtel ‘hybrid’ reports gain currency

    MUMBAI: Although there is no confirmation, Reliance Jio seems to be gearing up to enter the DTH space in India this month after disrupting the telecom landscape.

    Jio it seems may not be alone in the new business as Airtel too is reportedly looking to take on Jio’s IPTV based DTH with its hybrid DTH STB service. The impact however will depend on the STB features.

    After much speculation over a few weeks, this time some images of Jio set-top-box have surfaced — exposing the box design. Some reports stated that Jio STB, powered through Jio broadband with up to 1 Gbps speed, would have a rounded design and an upgraded version of the available DTH boxes.

    The leaked pictures the Jio STBs show a USB port at rear and front side. This presumably will help consumers to connect a pen drive and may be watch stored movies and videos directly — without an internet connection.

    This feature exists in smart TVs, but the earlier TV sets do not have it — the market for Jio DTH.

    The leaked images also show an RJ45 port that helps connect to Net and have movies, live streaming and listen to music online. The Jio box also seems to have an AV port, HDMI port, a 12-volt power port, and a cable port at the rear.

    The Jio STB is expected to be based on Android and Jio will help outdoor customer premise equipment (CPE) connected to a Jio tower and attached to the STB. Jio is also preparing to give wiring via optical fibre cable, instead of CPE, in some areas.

    Airtel’s high-tech hybrid too reportedly works on the same principle. Airtel will use the fibre to home (FTTH) service to connect the STBs, allowing viewers to stream content online.

  • Airtel does not agree with ASCI’s ‘conclusion’ on misleading ad

    MUMBAI: The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has given a statement in favour of Reliance Jio and has asked Airtel to stop the ads that were misleading for several reasons. Bharti Airtel however does not agree with ASCI’s decision and will file an appeal as per guidelines. It said its campaign is based on the findings by Ookla – the globally recognised leader in mobile speed tests and also a benchmark for reputed global operators.

    Reliance Jio has been in a tug-of-war with incumbent telecom operators with its launch of Jio 4G services in India. Regardless of the quality of the service or the speeds, which has always been a debatable topic, Jio is on the forefront, and other operators are trying to catch up with it. Jio sent a legal notice to Ookla for what it calls wrongly calling Airtel as the leader of speed.

    Jio’s complaint to ASCI was considered by the Fast Track Complaints Committee (FTCC) on 29 March 2017. The FTCC referred to the terms and conditions (https://www.airtel.in/fastestnetwork/download/terms-and-conditions-fastest-network-ookla.pdf) and noted that some clauses were considered to be in contravention of the ASCI Guidelines.

    Airtel TVC does not state in the claim itself that the speed results pertain to only a specific period. (i.e. The period taken to conduct speed test is from Q3-Q4 2016”). The FTCC noted that the claim by the advertiser is not specific to 4G technology whereas the TVC has 4G visuals. The FTCC considered this representation to be misleading by ambiguity and implication. While the advertiser submitted an Ookla certificate, they did not provide an explicit test methodology to substantiate that the method is robust to capture that the sample; and is representative and comparable across operators, geographies and consumers.

    The FTCC referred to the TRAI web site with respect to the coverage of Jio vis-a-vis Airtel and noticed that there is a significant gap between geographical dispersion of Airtel and Jio 4G subscribers which could impact the comparison. Based on this data, the FTCC concluded that the claim was not adequately substantiated and the basis of comparison has been so chosen as to bestow artificial advantage to the advertiser.

    FTCC has legally ordered Airtel to either appropriately modify or withdraw the advertisement completely by 11 April 2017.

  • Airtel acquires Tikona’s 4G biz , adds 2300 MHz spectrum in five circles

    MUMBAI: Bharti Airtel Limited, India’s largest telecommunications services provider, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Tikona Digital Networks to acquire Tikona’s 4G Business including the Broadband Wireless Access spectrum and 350 sites, in five telecom circles. The acquisition is subject to requisite regulatory approvals.

    Tikona currently has 20 MHz spectrum in the 2300 MHz band in Gujarat, UP (East), UP (West), Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh circles. Airtel plans to roll out high-speed 4G services on the newly acquired spectrum in the five circles immediately after the closure of the transaction.

    As per the agreement, the acquisition of the 4G business in Gujarat, UP (East), UP (West) and Himachal Pradesh will be undertaken by Airtel, while in the Rajasthan circle, it will be accomplished through Airtel’s subsidiary Bharti Hexacom Limited. Post-acquisition, the combined spectrum holding of Airtel in these five circles will be within the spectrum caps prescribed by the Government.

    The proposed acquisition will enable Airtel to fill BWA spectrum gaps in the 2300 MHz band in Rajasthan, UP (East) and UP (West), thereby securing a pan India footprint in the band. The deal will significantly bolster Airtel’s spectrum position in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, taking its overall BWA spectrum holding to 30 MHz each in these circles. Post completion of the deal, Airtel will have 30 MHz in the 2300 MHz band in 13 circles giving it tremendous advantage to handle the surging data demand.

    Bharti Airtel MD & CEO (India & South Asia) Gopal Vittal said, “Airtel’s continued focus on strengthening its 4G capabilities across multiple spectrum bands will be complemented with the BWA spectrum acquisition from Tikona. We believe that combining our capacities in TD-LTE and FD-LTE will further bolster our network, and help us provide unmatched high-speed wireless broadband experience.”

  • Jio takes Airtel to ASCI over network speed ad

    NEW DELHI: The telecom war between Reliance Jio and other telecom service providers took a new turn when a complaint was lodged with the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) against broadband tester Ookla’s network speed test that said Bharti Airtel has the fastest network speed.

    A letter sent by Reliance Jio to the self-regulatory advertising body ASCI said: “The claim of Airtel that it is India’s fastest network is false, misleading and incorrect. The claim is being made by Airtel acting in a mala fide manner in collusion with Ookla LLC, who profess to be experts in the domain space of testing mobile internet speed.”

    Reliance Jio, which is the latest entrant in the field but has over 100 million subscribers, has also separately served a legal notice to Ookla for what it has termed as its “flawed” test, according to an IANS report.

    Claiming that Ookla does not have any accreditation from the Indian government, Jio said It also stated that Ookla is not a “not-for-profit” organisation. “It charges money for its services used by telecom companies for their internal consumption, and charges additional consideration” for awarding certificates “that may be used by such companies for external consumption, marketing and publicity”.

    “Without prejudice to the above, in any event, the way the award is being projected misleads the public into believing that Airtel has the fastest network today, that is when the advertisements are being aired/published,” the letter said.

    “Even in the past, Airtel has been guilty of making attempts to use such titles and proclamations,” the letter states.

    In its reaction, an Airtel spokesperson reiterated that “Airtel has been rated as India’s fastest mobile network by Ookla — the global leader in broadband testing and web-based network diagnostic applications.”

  • Dentsu Webchutney appoints Anil Kumar as EVP

    MUMBAI: Dentsu Webchutney has roped in Anil Kumar as EVP and branch head. He will be based out of Delhi and will report to Dentsu Webchutney CEO and co-founder Sidharth Rao. Kumar will lead key accounts like Airtel, IndusInd Bank, Canon, Tetra Pack, Hike, Payback, DS Group and ITC amongst others.

    Rao said, “Digital is fast moving from a creative-communication arena to being a business-enabler. Anil, with years of mainline advertising experience coupled with extensive hands-on marketing experience, presents a combination that can help our teams appreciate the real-business issues more holistically and recommend solutions that can positively impact our client’s bottom lines. We look forward to Anil steering our largest branch to next levels of growth and recognition.”

    Kumar is a seasoned marketing professional with over 18 years of work experience with India’s leading advertising agencies – FCB, Grey, TBWA, Contract and Lintas. This long stint was followed by another five years as executive director, Millennium Spire, a Singapore based FDI fund that he helped grow from $20 million to a $1 billion operation. This success fuelled his passion for nurturing start-ups and led to co-founding of inQbis – a boutique business consulting firm focussed on providing strategic and marketing direction to early-growth ventures in infrastructure, agri-products, retail design and e-com sectors.

    He added, “I am seriously inspired by the impact of Digital, both as a medium and a technology, on our day to day lives. It is fast changing the human behaviour itself. For a marketing professional, Digital is the ultimate delight because of its tremendous ability to sharply identify and establish the shortest route possible to the target audience; and what better place than Dentsu Webchutney, the pioneers in digital, to immerse oneself into this arena and explore.”

  • What the Netflix, Vodafone, Videocon d2h and Airtel tieups mean

    MUMBAI: It clearly is looking at spreading its net far and wide, at least on the availability front. Global video on demand service Netflix has announced the signing of partnerships with three of India’s leading players in the DTH and mobile telephony space: Airtel, Videocon d2h and Vodafone.  

    CEO Reed Hastings was in Delhi yesterday and is expected to be in Mumbai over the next few days to probably make a few more announcements.  Said Hastings at the conference: “India is one of the top 3 markets for Netflix in terms of mobile usage. We’ve had strong growth here; it’s stronger than all of the other Asian nations. It’s a larger market. In terms of investments, we are investing heavily into content. The watch time of our shows has gone up significantly since the launch of Jio.”

    He added: “India is one of the most important and vibrant countries in the world, and we are delighted to be teaming up with three of its leading companies to make it much easier for consumers to enjoy Netflix. In the months and years to come, we look forward to bringing our Indian members more compelling stories from all over the world, and ever-improving viewing experience, and incredible joy.”

    Details of the Videocon d2h tieup were made available through a press release yesterday. It said that Videocon d2h consumers will be able to enjoy Netflix on a large screen by simply clicking a dedicated Netflix button on the remote control of HD Smart Connect set top box (STB).

     Netflix will be available through a dedicated app available on the connected Set top box, HD SMART STB  which converts any existing TV into a Smart TV besides showing more than 600 channels and services in high definition and standard definition. The HD Smart Connect set top box allows viewing in SD and HD, using the satellite feed like any other Videocon d2h set top box. It can be connected to the Internet through any Wifi or Ethernet connection in the home for accessing a curated set of applications available through the Internet. The minimum Internet speed needed is 2 Mbps. These apps, both free and paid cover a range of content genres and utility apps. By connecting the HD Smart Connect STB to any TV, the TV would become smart.

    The Airtel partnership is expected to be in the same vein. Hastings told journalists that “we are focussed on the set top box with them so that the device attached to the television has Netflix on it, so they can stream directly to the television. In case of Vodafone, it is a mobile partnership wherein payment for Netflix will be integrated via mobile billing or through pre-paid schemes.

    With more than 94 million members (read subscribers) worldwide, the tieups will give Netlflix access to  humungous potential audience numbers.

    Says a media observer: “It’s a master stroke of sorts.  Depending on whether the Airtel DTH partnership extends to the mobile parent;  whether the partnership with Videocon d2h extends to Dish TV when they merge, and to Idea when it partners with Vodafone, the potential member base could extend the Netflix service to around 500-600 million potential viewers. And around 300 million smart phone and DTH viewers. Clearly Netflix means business in India.”

    The media observer who was unwilling to be quoted stated that what Netflix will have to look at pricing in India if it wants to become a mass brand.

    “We will get to know over time whether it is playing the volume game or the premium niche game. Currently it is the latter. Rs 550 to Rs 700 per month is limiting its subscriber base. But the advantage of Netflix’s higher pricing is that it can share more with its partners on the other hand, apart from the data consumption revenue that will accrue to the telco,” she said. “Our estimates are that its paid subscriber base in India is sub-500,000. All the other players are priced much lower and are yet to take off. Even Hotstar is struggling despite having a great content offering. And Amazon is almost giving away its content for free with its 499 per year package. Netflix will  have to decide which route it is taking.”

    Hastings acknowledged this to the media saying that Netflix  could come up with other payment plans – like a weeky one or daily, keeping in mind the purchasing power in India. But the current model is working well with the top 10 per cent, he disclosed. ” Our main focus is on adding more content. What we really want to be is a content solution, where you can get almost all you want to view in one place on Netflix.”

    Media observers expect other announcements soon – possibly a partnership with Jio? An office is likely to be set up in Mumbai by 2018. Hastings is slated to meet some production biggies in Mumbai in the coming days apart from following up on the progress of Sacred Games Phanton Films is producing for it.

    Watch this space!

    (Updated on 7 March at 1:15 pm)

    Also Read :

    Netflix: 46% of streaming couples cheat & watch ahead of partners

    Videocon d2h partners Netflix for HD Smart Connect

  • Big Magic to air ‘Akbar’ from 20 Feb

    MUMBAI: BIG Magic, a variety general entertainment channel, adds yet another unique offering to its bouquet of shows with the launch of a first-of-its-kind historic drama, ‘Akbar’. The show aims to unravel the prodigious journey of the Mughal emperor right from the days of his childhood, and traces his path to the throne in a manner that has never been projected before on Indian television. The show boasts of a stellar cast, including child actor Bhavesh as Akbar, in addition to talented artists Ankur Nayyar, Rishina Kandhari, Hetal Yadav, andKareem Hanjee among others. ‘Akbar’ will be aired from February 20, every Monday to Friday at 7 PM on BIG Magic.

    Speaking about the new show, spokesperson from BIG Magic said, “We are extremely happy to announce our new offering ‘Akbar’, which is relatable, inspiring and laced with unknown facts from Mughal history. People have always known Akbar as a powerful emperor, but this show unveils the struggle he went through as a child, before going on to acquire the throne. The show is unique because it offers a side of the emperor that has never been portrayed before to popular masses. Catering to all age groups, the show promises to be a family entertainer, and we hope to continue catering to the aims and aspirations of a large and steadily growing audience base.”

    BIG Magic’s ‘Akbar’ will inspire viewers with its effective storyline, by showcasing the hardships of a young boy who went on to become a brilliant ruler, thereby contradicting popular belief that the throne did not come easily to him. The show will be driven by a 360-degree marketing approach, to reach out to the target markets through its various multi media campaigns on TV, radio, on-ground and digital.

    BIG Magic is available across all DTH players such as Tata Sky, Airtel, Videocon, Dish TV, Reliance Digital TV along with all cable operators including Hathway, DD Free Dish, Incable, Digicable, DEN, 7 Star, ABS, Siticable, Star Broadband and GTPL amongst others.

    Promo link- https://we.tl/Vdwhskvm7P

  • Jio juggernaut rolls on, wired segment wobbles

    BENGALURU: In November 2016, the MukeshAmbani run ‘world’s biggest startup’ – Reliance Jio or simply Jio, became the largest private broadband internet services provider (ISP) in the country as per data revealed by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) for month of November 2016 (Nov-16) with 5.223 crore subscribers. Jio’s subscriber base is wireless. Over the next 31 days until the end of calendar year 2016 (CY-16) and the month December 2016 (Dec-16), Jio juggernaut added another 1.993 crore subscribers to reach a base of 7.216 crore subscribers.In the press release announcing Reliance Industries numbers for the quarter ended 31 December 2016 (Q3-17), Ambani said, “I delighted by our country’s eagerness to adopt to a digital life as witnessed by the recordbreakinglaunch of Jio. Its comprehensive ecosystem has enabled millions of Indians to lead a richerlife through its offerings.”

    Jio is now far ahead of the number two player Bharti Airtel Limited (Airtel) which saw further erosion of its wireless subscriber base to 4.153 crore from 4.190 crore in Nov-16. Among the other three players in the top five private wireless ISP’s list, Idea Cellular saw its subscriber decline in Dec-16 to 2.704 crore from 2.84 crore in Nov-16. Vodafone, the third largest wireless ISP saw a small growth in its subscriber base in Dec-16 to 3.501 crore from 3.487 crore in Nov-16, while Reliance Communications reported a steady 1.608 crore subscribers in both Nov-16 and Dec-16. The government run Bharat Sanchar Limited (BSNL), which is actually the fourth largest wireless ISP in terms of subscribers saw its base erode to 2.036 crore in Dec-16 from 2.039 crore.The top five service providers constituted 83.93 percent market share of the totalbroadband subscribers at the end of Dec-16.

    Wireline Broadband Internet

    Besides wireless broadband, a number of players also offer wired or wireline broadband services. Among the wireline ISP’s BSNL is the biggest player by far with 99.5 lakh subscribers. BSNL’s combined wireless and wireline subscribers is 3.301 crore, which would make it the third largest ISP in terms of subscribers. The second largest wireline ISP in India is Airtel which closed 2016 with 20.4 lakh wireline subscribers, after adding just 10,000 subscribers to its wireline internet subscriber base. Airtel’s combined wireless and wireline subscriber base was 4.357 crore as on 31 December 2016. The third largest wireline broadband internet services provider was regional private player ACT Broadband lost 20,000 subscribers in Dec-16 to reach a subscriber base of 11.2 lakh. The government run Mahanagar Sanchar Nigam Limited (MTNL) also lost 10,000 subscribers in Dec-16 to a lowered subscriber base of 10.4 lakh. The fifth player in the list of top five wireline broadband internet service providers in the country is another regional player – You Broadband or You BB. There was no change in the minnow’s subscriber base of 6 lakh in Dec-16 vis-à-vis Nov-16.

    Overall, the internet subscriber base in the country grew 8.89 percent (by 1.882 crore) month-on-month (m-o-m) to 23.609 crore in Dec-16 with from 21.827 crore Nov-16. Wireline broadband subscriber base grew 0.48 percent (by 80,000) m-o-m to 1.814 crore in Dec-16 from 1.806 crore in Nov-16 and grew by 16.3 lakh from 1.651 crore as on 31 December 2016 or 1 January 2016. Please refer to figure A below.

    Leading the growth in subscriber additions in CY-16 (Jan-16 until Dec-16)were private wired broadband players Bharti Airtel , and regional player ACT  with additions of 3.7 lakh and 2.6 lakh subscriber additions respectively in CY-16. Airtel’s wired broadband subscriber base grew 22.16 percent, while ACT’s base grew by 30.23 percent during the same period (CY-16 until Dec-16). In CY-15 (1 January 2015 to 31 December 2015), Airtel had added 2.6 lakh wired broadband subscribers and grown by 18.44 percent, while ACT had added 2.5 lakh subscribers and had grown at a blazing 40.98 percent. By Sep-16, Airtel had already exceeded the number of subscribers it had added in CY-15, while ACT had crossed its CY-15 performance in Oct-16.

    public://Untitled-2_9.jpg

    Figure B below indicates the m-o-m subscriber growth in CY-16. As is obvious, though the wireline subscriber base grew 0.48 percent, the combined subscriber base of the top five wireline ISP’s shrank by 0.14 percent (reduced by 20,000) in Dec-16 as compared to Nov-16.

    The top five players have had a slower rate of growth as compared to the all India growth in CY-16 until Dec-16. The share of the top five players among all India wired broadband subscriber additions has fallen in CY-16 until Dec-16 from 85.28 percent as on 1 January 2016 to 81.31 percent as on 31 December 2016. The share of these players was 88.45 percent as on 1 January 2015.

    public://Untitled-3_12.jpg

    Other wireline broadband players in India

    MSOs’ in India have started providing internet services on the back of their television cable networks using DOCSIS technology. In general, they have started reporting double and triple digit year-over-year (y-o-y) increase in internet subscribers and revenue. The television cable players see broadband services improving their Average Revenue per User (ARPU) numbers. Three of the major MSOs and a regional MSO – Hathway, Siti Networks Limited, Den Networks Limited , Ortel Communications Limited respectivelywhose results are available in the public domain have been showing steady growth in their broadband segment over the past few quarters.

    TRAI’s definition of broadband is internet download speeds greater than or equal to 512 Kpbs.

    Notes:(1) The unit of currency in this report is the Indian rupee – Rs (also conventionally represented by INR).The Indian numbering system or the Vedic numbering system has been used to denote money values. The basic conversion to the international norm would be:
    (a) 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10,000,000 = 10 million = 1 crore.
    (b) 10,000 lakh = 100 crore = 1 arab = 1 billion.

    (2) TRAI reports indicate data in millions of numbers up to 2 decimal places. Hence it is assumed in this report that a figure of 0.51 million (5.1 lakh) subscribers for You BB for Dec-2015 would be granular to the nearest 10,000. While percentages have been mentioned up to two decimal places, the accuracy may vary, depending upon the exact number.
    (3) MSOs’ have a number of subsidiaries and alliances, hence broadband numbers are split as applicable. The consolidated subscription numbers of these entities could be larger. Hathway is a case in point.