ITV

Tag: Fastway Transmissions

  • KCCL signs subscription agreement under NTO 3.0

    KCCL signs subscription agreement under NTO 3.0

    Mumbai : The interconnection subscription agreement with the broadcasters was signed by MSO Kerala Communicators Cable Ltd (KCCL) in accordance with the Trai-mandated NTO 3.0 after UCN.

    Now that the Trai’s new rate order has been modified, KCCL has joined a growing group of MSOs, including Siti Cable, KAL Cables, Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV, and Thamizhaga Cable TV, that have agreed to negotiate interconnection agreements with the broadcasters.

    Even as the legal dispute between cable operators represented by the AIDCF (All India Digital Cable Federation) and the broadcasters continues in the Kerala High Court, there now appears to be a rift within the cable fraternity in its fight against the broadcasters regarding signing the interconnection agreements under the NTO 3.0.

    Den, Fastway Transmissions, GTPL Hathway, Hathway Digital, and other MSOs are among those that are still engaged in this conflict with the broadcasters.

    Leading three broadcasters (Sony, Disney Star India, and Zee Entertainment) cut off their signals to nearly ten MSOs on February 19 who are AIDCF members.

    Broadcasters are justifying the increase in price after a four-year hiatus. Cable operators, on the other hand, claim that the price increase is exorbitant and will raise consumers’ monthly cable bill. They have also filed numerous petitions against the amended tariff regime in the country’s high courts.

    AIDCF claims that despite the fact that the case is in court, these major broadcasters disconnected their signals.

    Meanwhile, AIDCF has warned advertisers, media planners, and ad agencies, against advertising on Disney-Star, Sony and Zee, because their recent actions have “deprived more than 25 million households across India from watching their channels since Saturday, 18 February 2023.

    The federation claimed that the 25 million homes account for nearly 35 per cent of the pay TV market in India.

    “Are you still getting the reach that you have paid for? Your advertisements are not reaching more than 200 million consumers across all states and Union Territories in India for the past three days. More than 46 billion minutes of viewing time are being lost per day across India on the largest cable networks in India including GTPL, DEN, Hathway, Fastway, In Cable, NXT Digital, Asianet, KCCL, UCN and many more. These networks cater to large audiences in HSM as well as South with dominant presence in Punjab/Haryana/ Chandigarh HP, UP Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, West Bengal Odisha, Madhya Pradesh/Chhattisgarh, Bihar/Jharkhand, North-East, AP Telangana, Kamataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, etc,” said a release by AIDCF.

    The industry body warns the advertisers to take an informed decision when they advertise on any of the channels including Star Plus, Zee TV, Sony.

  • Fastway Transmissions launches a new android TV set top box

    Fastway Transmissions launches a new android TV set top box

    Mumbai: Fastway Transmissions, a subsidiary of the Jujhar group and a cable network provider in India, has launched a Dolby Vision and Dolby Audio enabled android TV based hybrid and OTT set-top box, the FW+ ultra 4K STB. Plans start at Rs 699.

    Powered by Netplus Broadband, the internet arm of Fastway Transmissions, the set-top box will be preloaded with a bundled plan that offers access to ultra-high-definition (UHD) content and is affordably priced. Access to unlimited internet, premium OTT content, and free voice calls will be included in the bundle plans. The hybrid cable box can also be used to pair linear TV with playback services in HDR quality.

    The Fastway STB provides users with access to Prime Video, YouTube, and Google Play through direct links and a remote with a single click. The STB is equipped with features, including Dolby Vision, Dolby Audio, HDMI 2.1, dual band, bluetooth, USB3.0, micro SDXC (expandable up to 1TB), and a built-in chromecast.

    According to a report, the worldwide set-top box market is anticipated to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than four per cent in terms of volume from 2021 to 2028. Rising internet and broadband penetration, as well as increased preference for high-quality channels and on-demand video services in 4K HDR, are expected to drive this market’s growth.

    The consumers of today, the company said, are seeking premium entertainment experiences. To cater to this evolving demand and to ensure customer delight, the set-top box comes equipped with Dolby Vision and Dolby Audio.

    Jujhar Group chairman S. Gurdeep Singh said, “This is a very significant step towards delivering comprehensive services to our existing as well as potential user base. With the launch of this exciting new product with Dolby vision and Dolby audio technology, we want to target a substantial share of users in the tier one and tier two regions of the country. The subscribers will be able to enjoy the ultra-smart hub with an easy-to-use interface through play store services. Further, users can also customise their smart boxes using the apps that can be downloaded from the play store.

    “As android TV grows in popularity, the number of monthly active users is on a significant rise, indicating an increase in popularity and trust for the company. We are looking forward to utilising our extensive broadband and cable network experience to deliver a premium OTT viewing experience.”

    Dolby Laboratories’ senior director of commercial partnerships, India, Middle East and Africa Karan Grover said, “We are thrilled to collaborate with Fastway Transmissions to deliver a premium entertainment experience to consumers across streaming and cable networks. At Dolby, it is our constant pursuit to elevate the audio-visual entertainment quotient for our audience and make sure they are immersed completely in a life-like experience. Fastway subscribers will be able to experience their favourite entertainment like never before in Dolby Vision and Dolby Audio with Fastways new set-top box.”

  • Fastway Transmissions signs up as a key Synamedia Converged Headend customer in India

    Fastway Transmissions signs up as a key Synamedia Converged Headend customer in India

    KOLKATA: Synamedia, the independent video software provider, announced its partnership with the fifth largest multi-system operator in India, Fastway Transmissions. Fastway is the first provider in India to go live with Synamedia’s Converged Headend solution. The deployment will allow Fastway to bring together its video service and IP workflows to deliver a broadcast-quality viewing experience on any screen for its millions of subscribers, managed through Synamedia Video Network Service Manager.

    The Synamedia Converged Headend solution will simplify and optimize Fastway’s video workflows, resulting in cost and operational efficiencies while allowing Fastway to increase the volume of content it delivers over its existing networks. Converged Headend features the industry’s broadest functionality in a single solution including: acquisition and multiplexing, encoding, transcoding, ad insertion, packaging, content protection, origin services, and reliable IP transport.

    Fastway is one of the first large operators in India to transition to a software-centric video processing platform. The  Converged Headend solution will be deployed on premise and is designed to be easily extended to the cloud, or a hybrid environment in the future.

    Fastway will use Synamedia virtualized Digital Content Manager (vDCM)  to boost the monetization of its content investments and accelerate the trial and launch of new channels and services in the future. The operator already uses Synamedia solutions for broadcast, security, IP delivery and STB software.

     Fastway Transmissions Group CEO  Prem Ojha commented, “Deploying a Converged Headend Solution is an important technology investment as we set out our ambitious plans for new services and subscriber growth. This resonates with our strategy to enhance our customer service experience on an ongoing basis and will act as a catalyst for the growth of our video and triple play subscribers. The Synamedia team not only solved our technical challenges, they were able to look several steps ahead to ensure we have the best building blocks in place for the future.”

    “The pace of change in the Indian pay-TV industry is relentless and competition is intense. With Converged Headend, Fastway will benefit from a single workflow for both cable and IP streams , making it possible to quickly adapt to local market needs with new services.  This more streamlined, efficient infrastructure will deliver operational efficiencies, cut costs  and give subscribers a high-quality viewing experience on any screen,” Synamedia APAC and Latin America executive vice president and general manager Sue Couto said.

    Synamedia’s video network portfolio powers premium quality broadcast and broadband video for more than 1,000 operators worldwide and 100 million daily viewers. Its video distribution, processing and delivery services and solutions create compelling live multi-screen experiences, enable software-defined video processing and unify operations. The award-winning portfolio also touts a cloud-ready, converged broadcast and broadband end-to-end ATSC 3.0 offering and low latency solutions for live video. Its virtualized DCM features live transcoding to multiple bit rates and formats, scalable video functions and best-in-class video quality all aimed to deliver infinite entertainment. 

  • VBS 2019: Media industry leaders to discuss challenges facing the industry

    VBS 2019: Media industry leaders to discuss challenges facing the industry

    MUMBAI: The much-anticipated Video and Broadband Summit (VBS) 2019 will be held today in Mumbai with participation from prominent media networks, broadcast distributors, media and advertising agencies, consultancy services, OTT platforms, media monitoring firms, as well as government regulatory bodies.

    Among the prominent media networks who will be participating in the summit are Sony Pictures Network, Star India, 9x Media, Enterr10 TV, BBC Global News, IN10 Media, Shemaroo and Zee. From the distributors side DEN Network, Maharashtra Cable Operators Federation, Fastway Transmissions, GTPL Hathway, Tata Sky, SITI Networks, UCN Cable and Ashwini Cable will be participating in the one-day summit at Hyatt Regency, Mumbai.

    Representatives of India’s prominent media agencies like IndiaCast Media, MediaKind, The Remediation Company, IndusInd Media and Communication, One Take Media, Madison Media will be participating in the event held in the shadows of TRAI’s February 2019 New Tariff Order (NTO) and amidst expectations and fears of further changes to the months-old act, described by many as one of the most significant reform in Indian media broadcast industry.

    There will be representation from auditing firms like PwC and KPMG as well. Since broadband service providers are now key to video distribution, there will be representation from Google, Reliance Jio Fiber, Reliance Jio and Win Broadband.

    TRAI advisor (broadcasting and cable services) Arvind Kumar will also address the gathering of industry leaders and there will also be a special presentation from BARC India COO Romil Ramgarhia.

    Bringing together industry leaders from all sectors of the media industry, the summit will discuss various issues at the heart of the NTO, how it’s impacting broadcasters and distributors, changes proposed to it and why broadcasters are unhappy with TRAI for floating a new consultation paper within six months of NTO.

    After a keynote address by Anil Wanvari, founder Indiantelevision.com, IndiaCast Media Distribution president Amit Arora, Star India Distribution president Gurjeev Singh Kapoor, IndusInd Media and Communications CEO Vynsley Fernandes, GTPL Hathway VP Yatin Gupta, The Remediation Company founder Shyamala Venkatachalam and Bhima Riddhi Digital Services promoter Nagesh Narayandas Chhabria will debate the TRAI consultation paper on tariffs in a panel discussion to be moderated by Elara Capital VP Karan Taurani.

    To give the perspective of distributors on how the NTO, and the expected amendments to it, affects their businesses, there will be a panel discussion in which SITI Networks CEO Anil Malhotra, GC member of SCTE India Shaji Mathews, Fastway Transmissions Consultant Peeush Mahajan and Bhima Riddhi Digital Services Promoter Nagesh Narayandas Chhabria will participate.

    Advertising industry is at the other end of the spectrum, the other big sector that had to adjust to post NTO environment. To discuss the advertisers' view and their take on the dynamic pay-TV landscape, there will be Godrej head media services Subha Sreenivasan Iyer, ITC PR and media head Jaikishin Chhaproo and Havas Media Group managing partner West & South Kunal Jamaur. They will participate in a panel discussion to be moderated by Castle Media CEO Ru Ediriwira.

    There will be a presentation from BROADPEAK business development manager Hervé Creff, on "Keeping control of HDMI1 with Android TV Operator Tier – the "super-aggregator" approach."

    This will be followed by a panel discussion on how to transform the TV broadcast sector to fuel growth – what are the key issues facing the industry and how can more transparency and discipline be injected into it? PwC partner and leader Raman Kalra, Elara Capital VP – research analyst (media) Karan Taurani, KPMG India partner Girish Menon and BBC News head of distribution – South Asia Sunil Joshi will participate in a panel discussion to be moderated by SBICAP Securities head of equity research Rajiv Sharma.

    Local cable operators also constitute an important link in the TV broadcast value chain in India. Despite the presence of strong DTH players like Tata and Bharti Airtel and the rise of OTT, as much as 65 per cent of TV homes in India are still connected through these local cable operators, as per TRAI estimates. Maharashtra Cable Operators Federation (MCOF) president Arvind Ramesh Prabhoo and IndusInd Media and Communication COO Rouse Koshy will participate in a panel discussion on how has the role of the LCO changed under the new regulatory framework and its significance going forward.

    The rise of some of the Free to Air (FTA) channels in the post NTO environment has been another prominent feature of 2019. To discuss the roadmap ahead for FTA channels, there will be a panel discussion in which SAB Group CEO Manav Dhanda, Enterr10 TV MD – Fakt Marathi Shirish Pattanshetty, IN10 Media COO Akul Tripathi, 9X Media chief revenue officer Pawan Jailkhani and Shemaroo Entertainment COO Kranti Gada will participate.

    To discuss the role of the internet in the broadcast industry, there will be a fireside chat between Anil Wanvari and Jio Fiber president Anuj Jain. The summit will end with a panel discussion on the role of the internet in video distribution in which Google Industry head media and entertainment Sandeep Ramesh, Jio VP – advertising and strategy Mohit Kapoor, COAI Director General Rajan S Mathews, ZEE5 chief revenue officer and business head Taranjeet Singh and MediaKind head of marketing – APAC Chiranjeev Singh will participate.