ITV

Tag: broadband

  • Is Comcast eyeing a mega-streaming deal?

    New Delhi: The world is moving towards streaming at a pace like never before. And, the media titans are eyeing every opportunity they can get to consolidate their digital entertainment businesses and brace up for the streaming war.

    After AT&T and Amazon, it is now the turn of the US cable giant Comcast to make its move to turbocharge its streaming operations. According to media reports, the company is mulling a mega-deal with one of the two media giants- Roku or ViacomCBS.

    However, the question that Comcast’s CEO Brian Roberts is wrestling with is- whether to build something internally or buy to become a streaming powerhouse, reported The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday. The merger seems unlikely, but Roberts is evaluating his options, which include a potential tie-up with ViacomCBS or acquisition of Roku Inc, the business daily reported citing unidentified persons.

    All three companies have declined to comment on the matter and issued no statements so far.

    The US cable giant Comcast had branched out from its cable and broadband into entertainment in 2009 with the acquisition of NBCUniversal, whose streaming service Peacock is yet to catch up with the likes of Netflix or Disney+. However, its broadband business has continued to grow. As the first wave of the pandemic ravaged the world last year, its broadband business added nearly two million customers and the unit’s revenue rose 10 per cent to about $21 billion.

    An acquisition of streaming giant Roku at this stage could help it to step up its streaming game against the industry titans – Netflix, Disney, and Amazon. Roku’s valuation has more than tripled in the past year to $53 billion.  

    On the other hand, a transaction with ViacomCBS which owns streaming service Paramount+ could provide the much-needed boost to its streaming operations, but it is too early to say.

    However, several analysts say, the latest buzz could be just ‘speculation’ as a merger at this stage seems unlikely. One of the reasons is that Comcast has been largely focussing on developing the software behind its Xfinity cable boxes, called X1, and its Flex streaming boxes which resemble Roku. The other being its potential partnership with Walmart to further the Smart TV technology.

    The reports come close on the heels of two major media deals that happened over the last few weeks. First AT&T announced its decision to spin off entertainment giant WarnerMedia and merge it with Discovery becoming the world’s second-largest media firm by revenue after Disney. The new entity Warner Bros. Discovery is now led by Discovery CEO David Zaslav. Soon thereafter, Amazon made its most ambitious move in the entertainment business and announced that it is buying MGM Studios.

    So, whether or not Comcast is considering a transaction with ViacomCBS or the acquisition of Roku, it has definitely stirred many questions on the cable giant’s next step.

  • SCTE India announces its new executive board for the term 2021-2024

    SCTE India announces its new executive board for the term 2021-2024

    New Delhi: The Society of Cable Telecommunication Engineers (SCTE), India has appointed NXTDIGITAL Limited MD and CEO, Vynsley Fernandes as the honorary chairman, Sandeep Bhargava as the president, and Rahul Nehra as the national secretary.

    The announcement was made at the recently held annual general meeting.

    The new executive has a very aggressive charter for the year 2021 with initiatives like SCTE Academy, SCTE Consulting, SCTE Innovation, and SCTE India Tech TV to help India get the correct technical knowledge and facilitate the impetus in the years to come.

    “I am delighted to join the SCTE family as the Chairman. SCTE India has a significant role to play in Digital India; especially on the back of the rapidly changing technology landscape,” said Fernandes.

    Sandeep Bhargava said, “With data being the new fuel, Skilling and Innovation would play a significant role, and SCTE is right in the center of both.”

    SCTE India is a part of SCTE UK which celebrates its 75th year of existence and defines standards, certification, and innovation in the digital cable and the broadband space.

  • GTPL KCBPL partner with UKIO, spread smiles

    GTPL KCBPL partner with UKIO, spread smiles

    KOLKATA: GTPL KCBPL has partnered with UKIO to spread smiles during these difficult times and expand their product offering. UKIO is a personalised messaging platform that allows users to share video call messages with their loved ones via their favourite celebrity icons. Customers can get customised video messages made from their favourite Tollywood celebrities for as low as Rs 299. 

    Bleak times call for more emotional support and a feeling of being cared for and celebrated by our loved ones no matter what. As people across the country are forced to adhere to contact-less mannerisms, here’s a way out to still reach out to the closest people in our lives and make them feel special. This can only be made possible with the mindful use of technology at our disposal.

    “This initiative is very important and close to the hearts of GTPL KCBPL’s family as it will cheer people up and make them forget their woes. These videos are ideal gifts to loved ones in these tough times. They have already seen a great demand for Eid wishes and Covid related courtesy messages”, GTPL KCBPL transformation manager Ankit Agarwal said.

    “This platform also allows users to get on a video call with their favourite megastars which can easily be turned into a special greeting and a memory locked in for years to come. These services will be available through our 8000 plus cable operators across the states of West Bengal and Odisha and people can create a video message to send congratulatory or occasional greetings to their friends and family. They can reach out to their local cable operator to get one of these videos. 

    Users can choose between celebrities across categories like sports, cinema, models, actors, comedy, health and fitness, TV actors, and so on. They have endless options to choose from Tollywood as well as Bollywood. Some of the biggest names in the business who have already created memorable moments include popular stars Rachna Banerjee, Ena Saha, sports megastar and Badminton Player Saina Nehwal, TV Actor, Host, and Bollywood actor Siddharth Banerjee, and Bollywood Actor and Music Composer Salim Merchant to name a few of the galaxy of stars on UKIO’s platform.

  • TRAI seeks suggestions to prevent misuse of fixed broadband licence fee exemption

    TRAI seeks suggestions to prevent misuse of fixed broadband licence fee exemption

    KOLKATA: One of the sectors that received a rapid boost last year amid the work from home scenario was fixed-line broadband. After years of tepid growth, deep-pocketed players, as well as smaller cable operators began increasing focus on the segment as the demand escalated.

    On Wednesday, the Telecom Regulatory Authority (TRAI) issued a supplementary consultation paper in this regard. The paper titled ‘Roadmap to promote broadband connectivity and enhanced broadband’ sought feedback from stakeholders on issues such as incentivisation, licence fee exemption, how to prevent licence misuse and verify revenue from the segment.

    Back in March, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) wrote a letter seeking consolidated and updated recommendations from TRAI on the proliferation of fixed-line broadband in the country.

    “DoT has raised certain new issues like exemption of the licence fee on the revenues earned from fixed-line broadband keeping in view the current factual matrix and relevant issues, the likelihood of misuse by the licensees through misappropriation of revenues due to the proposed exemption,” TRAI said in an official statement.

    TRAI in 2015 had recommended that the licence fee on the revenues earned on fixed-line broadband should be exempted for at least five years. Apart from misuse of exemption, DoT has asked TRAI to give a reference on if the proliferation of fixed-line broadband services can be better promoted by providing direct benefit to consumers for usage of fixed-line broadband services.

    Although TRAI released two consultation papers on broadband-related issues in 2015, 2020, none of them discussed these issues. Hence, it started the supplementary consultation.

    The latest paper has also invited suggestions on how to permit the use of public places and street furniture for the effective rollout of 5G networks as it would play a significant role in offering good quality services by expanding the network coverage and going closer to the consumers.

    “It is also pertinent to understand the process which can be used by local bodies to grant permissions for use of street furniture and the associated policy and regulatory interventions,” it added.

  • Cable TV, broadband services impacted, as Cyclone Tauktae slams into west coast

    Cable TV, broadband services impacted, as Cyclone Tauktae slams into west coast

    KOLKATA: Cable TV services and broadband services were impacted across various places in Maharashtra and Gujarat, as Cyclone Tauktae left a trail of destruction along the west coast. Many users took to Twitter complaining about the long hours of network outage. However, both video and broadband services were restored within 12 hours, say cable operators

    NXTDigital MD & CEO Vynsley Fernandes said there were evident impacts on services especially in areas with overhead fibres and overhead wires. But timely weather warnings helped in making arrangements in advance. MSOs had placed teams in strategic locations to address issues and respond. “In most places, the network was restored in the shortest possible time. It did not take more than 12-14 hours,” Fernandes said.

    “There were damages but we were able to mobilise the staff and the workforce immediately. Major lines both for cable and broadband were down,” said Maharashtra Cable Operators Foundation (MCOF) president Arvind Prabhu. “There may still be some minor problems in certain households and we are in the process of addressing those as well.”

    The Konkan region was among the most-affected, as it witnessed the devastating impact of one of the most intense storms to hit the west coast. “Some independent control rooms reported problems in the Konkan region. In Mumbai city, there were issues mostly with fibre cables and overhead cables,” Prabhu added.

    GTPL Hathway cable TV head and chief strategy officer Piyush Pankaj said, the services were disrupted for around 3-4 hours in most areas. “But we were well-prepared this time. Even materials like wires were ready in advance to immediately address damages like a wire being cut or washed up,” he added.

    According to MSOs, cable TV was less impacted than broadband services as the latter not only faced connectivity issues but stress on speed as well. The impact on speed persisted for a longer time.

    Most importantly, the operators say, they learnt from two cyclones of 2020- Nisarg and Amphan after which they incurred huge infrastructural losses, especially in West Bengal. The staff had to invest more than a month to normalise the connections with damage of lakhs of set-top boxes, fibres of few crores.

  • NXTDigital turns around its business with Rs 13.66 crore profit in Q4

    NXTDigital turns around its business with Rs 13.66 crore profit in Q4

    KOLKATA: NXTDigital has turned its business profitable by raking in Rs 13.66 crore profit after tax (PAT) for the fourth quarter. The company has reported Rs 277.96 crore consolidated revenue for the quarter.

    It posted Rs 0.32 crore PAT in the previous quarter and a loss after tax of Rs 43.43 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. The revenue also grew by 6.95 per cent over the previous quarter of Rs 259.90 crores and by 22.38 per cent over the corresponding quarter of the previous year.

    The Earnings Before Interest Taxes Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) for the quarter at Rs 67.54 crores was higher by 8.10 per cent over the EBITDA of the previous quarter of Rs 62.47 crores and a 167 per cent growth over the EBITDA of the corresponding quarter of the previous year.

    For overall FY 21, the company recorded an EBITDA of Rs 232.08 crore, growing by 6.16 per cent over the EBITDA of the previous year of Rs 218.62 crores (excluding one-time revenues of Rs 123.12 crores in the previous year. Consolidated revenue for the year remained consistent at Rs 1,008.5 crores, marginally down from Rs 1,038 crores –due to a reduction in the low-margin non-core trading business.

    “The stellar performance can be attributed to the company’s focus on uninterrupted customer service during the lockdown and after, innovative products and solutions to combat the myriad of ground challenges, driving close to a 100 per cent digital mode of collections on a prepaid basis and the unstinting and tireless efforts of all our employees and our Last Mile partners – all of whom rose to the occasion, without exception,” NXTDigital MD & CEO Vynsley Fernandes said.

    The company will continue to focus on its transformation to an “all-digital” services company, driving a host of new products and solutions, whilst expanding into new geographies. One of the key growth drivers for the future will be its recently launched infrastructure sharing PaaS or Platform-as-a-Service offering.

  • GTPL Hathway earmarks Rs 400 crore capex for FY22

    GTPL Hathway earmarks Rs 400 crore capex for FY22

    KOLKATA: Pan India multi-system operator (MSO) GTPL Hathway is increasing its capex projection for FY22 to Rs 400 crore, compared to Rs 335 crore it invested in FY21, a top executive revealed in an investors call.

    Out of the overall capex projected for this financial year, Rs 225 crore to Rs 230 crore will be invested in the broadband segment, while the rest is going to be deployed for the cable TV side, especially for expansion in new markets. All capex will be funded through internal accruals only. The company is not looking forward to any fund raising activity at this point of time, GTPL Hathway cable TV head and chief strategy officer Piyush Pankaj noted.

    Earlier, the MSO revealed its plans to grow its cable TV subscriber base by more than 50 per cent in the next three years. While the growth in FY21 was flat, the company has cited the  decline in commercial connections as reason for the sluggish addition. 

    “The hotels, corporates, housekeeping, offices, small offices and all, which have not come back totally because of the pandemic. We are looking forward that in the normal scenario this business will grow. The residential customers are growing. We have connected around half a million more residential houses in the pandemic. We are looking forward that we will continue to grow,” Pankaj commented.

    GTPL Hathway is excited about six new states it entered for potential organic growth. Moreover, there is a lot of opportunity for consolidation, Pankaj added. It is already on the verge of executing some deals. While pandemic came in the way to executing deals in FY21, it is looking at closing the consolidation deals as the situation improves going forward.

    Overall, the cable TV market has been growing from anything between four to seven per cent CAGR, mentioned GTPL Hathway chairman and non-executive director Rajan Gupta. It varies from state to state, where states like Odisha have grown higher.

    It is also optimistic about maintaining its broadband additions as well, which is around 60,000 quarterly. “If you see 31 March 2020, we were showing the ISP internet service at around Rs 5 crore, which has increased to Rs 43 crore in 2021, quarter-to-quarter it is down, but year-to-year it is ten times more,” GTPL Hathway promoter and MD Anirudhsinh Jadeja highlighted.

    Rather than increasing broadband ARPU, the current focus is to create the broadband market where it enjoys a high market share in cable like Gujarat. As upgradation happens from LAN to FTTH, there will be some ARPU increase, said  Gupta. The shift in ARPU with change in connection happened last year, and he expects the momentum to continue.

    GTPL Hathway planned to launch hybrid boxes in Q4FY21, but production has been delayed due to the pandemic. The boxes are ready and they are getting shipped, Pankaj stated.

    While Jio is adding broadband subscribers aggressively, Jadeja claims it is not a competitor yet. “It is good now that Jio is also our partner and we might say that we are getting the cost synergy benefits related to the content, infrastructure, or whatever Jio’s expertise is for the overall industry,”  remarked Jadeja.

    “Jio’s market is spread in Ahmedabad, Baroda, Surat, and some other cities in Gujarat. GTPL covers almost the majority of Gujarat with a presence in 100 towns. The major competitor is BSNL and there are no other players,” he added.

  • NXTDigital’s broadband subsidiary OneOTT surpasses 600K subscribers

    NXTDigital’s broadband subsidiary OneOTT surpasses 600K subscribers

    KOLKATA: NXTDigital’s broadband subsidiary OneOTT intertainment Ltd (OIL) has surpassed 100,000 home broadband subscriber additions in the fourth quarter of the financial year 2020-21.

    According to a press statement issued by the company, OIL has attained a momentum of more than 1,000 subscribers-a-day on its way to crossing the 600,000+ mark, to retain its position in the top five private ISPs in India.

    OIL CEO Yugal Kishore Sharma believes that the dependence on internet has never been so high. “Internet use cases have moved beyond browsing and social networking to work-from-home (WFH), on-line education, OTT entertainment and gaming, online-shopping, online-health, e-governance and others. This requires broadband connections to deliver real ‘high speed’ to support multiple users, devices and sessions with consistency and near 100 per cent availability.”

     OIL has implemented unique business models to facilitate its rapid growth. The concept of “DST” or direct sales team has now evolved into digital sales teams, where the company is supplementing the traditional ‘push’ method of sales with digital mediums.

    On strategy for growth, Sharma shares, “We have imbibed learnings from the evolution of the telecom sector, not just in India, but globally – and we’ve applied a lot of those learnings to our own business model to ensure robustness and sustainability.” OIL has in fact achieved 42X growth over the last five years – with commensurate growth in revenues.

    Additionally, the broadband provider has adapted to the surge in consumption by doubling its internet capacity on the supply side without passing the additional cost to its customers to maintain customer experience.

    NXTDigital MD & CEO Vynsley Fernandes remarked, “Team ONE has redefined the business of broadband in India through innovative modelling, getting in the right skillsets and developing a performance centric organisation culture. The results of a focused strategy of OIL as demonstrated is visible in OIL’s consistently raising the bar on Q/Q basis.”

    OIL has also been steadily leveraging the cable television and HITS (Headend-In-The-Sky) subscriber base of NXTDigital – by expanding its footprint across the country.

  • GTPL Hathway posts Rs 599.1 crore revenue for Q4

    GTPL Hathway posts Rs 599.1 crore revenue for Q4

    KOLKATA: On the back of strong performance in the fourth quarter of FY21, GTPL Hathway has posted Rs 599.1 crore revenue, up 29 per cent year-on-year. The pan-India multi system operator (MSO)’s revenue from operations for the last fiscal has gone up 22 per cent year-on-year to reach Rs 2148.4 crore. It has netted Rs 57.1 crore profit in Q4 compared to 13.8 crore loss in the corresponding period of FY20.

    EBITDA stood at Rs 101.16 crore for the quarter ended 31 March 2021, up 32.32 per cent from Rs 76.45 crore in the same quarter a year ago.

    GTPL’s cable TV subscription revenue stands at Rs 266.5 crore for the quarter compared to Rs 271.8 crore in Q3. However, CATV subscription revenue has grown by four per cent for FY21, reaching 1071.2 crore.

    On the other hand, its broadband revenue has grown five per cent quarter-on-quarter basis to reach Rs 81.7 crore in Q4. While CATV subscription revenue saw only one per cent year-on-year growth for the quarter, broadband business has seen a huge turnaround registering 77 per cent year-on-year spike.

    Significantly, the MSO’s overall subscriber base for pay TV universe has remained the same at eight million in FY21 but active broadband subscriber base has increased by 1.5X to reach overall 635K users. Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) has also gone up by 5.5 per cent and stands at Rs 445 at the end of FY 21. The company has added 540K new home passes in the year. In the last quarter, it has added 70K home pass and added 45K broadband subscribers.

    “GTPL Hathway consistently delivered on key KPIs, despite lockdown and restrictions in FY21. The highlight of FY21 was the growth in subscription revenues for both CATV and broadband business, strong profitability, net-debt free status, geographical expansion, healthy balance sheet and improved return ratios,” GTPL Hathway managing director Anirudhsinh Jadeja said.

    “We have reduced our gross debt by Rs 693 million in FY21. Additionally, the company’s board has recommended to increase the dividend to Rs 4 per share in FY21. The company associated with Boman Irani as its brand ambassador during Q4FY21. GTPL is gearing up to launch new products and services in FY22, thereby propelling its value-proposition in existing and new markets,” he added further.

    (All numbers stated here are on consolidated basis unless stated otherwise)

  • Siti Networks to acquire 76% stake in Meghbela Infitel

    Siti Networks to acquire 76% stake in Meghbela Infitel

    KOLKATA: Multi-system operator (MSO) Siti Networks will pick up 76 per cent stake in Meghbela Infitel Cable & Broadband through its subsidiary Indian Cable Net Company. The board constituted investment committee of the company has approved the acquisition in a meeting held on 25 March 2021.

    Meghbela Infitel was incorporated on 9 July 2015 under the Companies Act, 2013. It is engaged in MSO business and has a presence in Kolkata. 76 per cent equity stake in the paid-up equity share capital of the company will be acquired by Siti Networks’ subsidiary.

    While consideration will be payable in cash, 7,600 shares will be acquired at Rs 10 each. “Meghbela is in the process of acquisition of cable TV business in Kolkata, which will help in expansion of the market of the company in Kolkata,” the company said in a regulatory filing on BSE.

    Siti Networks posted Rs 390.6 crore total revenue for the third quarter of FY2020. It posted Rs 270.6 crore subscription revenue in the same quarter.

    The MSO’s operating EBITDA surged to Rs 63.80 crore. This was achieved through strict control over expenses and operating efficiencies, the company stated. Its operating EBITDA margin for the quarter moved to 16.3 per cent through control of various cost elements.

    Siti Broadband also expanded its footprint to 21 cities by the end of the quarter, with the net base increasing to 1.9 lakh.