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Cas extension vista: MSOs tighten noose for customer choice data

Published

19 years ago

April 4, 2007

NEW DELHI: A week ago, MSOs in the Cas mandated areas had been reluctant to cut off the pay channels of those subscribers who had rented STBs but were not filling in their forms, but now with the extension of Cas across the four metros around the corner, they have started taking strict measures.

Most of them have started disconnecting pay channels of such subscribers, and at least one of them says it is producing miracles.

“We are getting the filled up forms of subscribers who have been sitting on them for months within 24 hours of hacking off the pay channels and forcing them to watch only FTAs,” SN Sharma, president, North India, Hathway revealed to indiantelevision.com.

WWIL and Incable have also taken steps to see that subscribers fill in the forms, which is essential for ensuring QoS, and these are duly inputted in the databank that Trai would ask for, for its midyear assessment.

“We have told the customers that if they do not fill in the forms by 15 April, their pay channels will be disconnected,” Arvind Mohan, EVP, WWIL, told indiantelevision.com.

Approximately 60 per cent of WWIL subscribers have filled in their choices, Mohan said, adding that more are coming in now after the notices. In the case of Hathway, it is 70 per cent and for Incable it is 75 per cent, (national average) with slight variations between the cities).

Not just that, a senior official in another MSO, requesting anonymity, said: “We are not just cutting the pay channels of such subscribers, in fact, we are also taking away the boxes that LCOs had taken in bulk but have not seeded so far. We have to ensure that no unfair practices or damage to these boxes are allowed.”

Apparently, MSOs, once accused by broadcasters of indulging in underdeclaration, feel that this has to be done away with. “We have to have a system of paying the broadcasters under this new addressable system,” said a source in an MSO.

In practical terms, till now, all those subscribers who had taken STBs were being shown all channels, pay as well as FTAs. These included those who had not indicated their choices. That would mean that MSOs would have to pay all the broadcasters for all the STBs that have gone out in the Cas areas.

In return, they would be able to claim on actual channel basis for those 50 to 60 per cent who have indicated their choices, which would be a huge financial burden.

“We had said initially that in the interest of our industry and making Cas a success, we would take some amount of hit, but this is the limit. We cannot go on paying lumpsum for those who are paying on channel basis and those who are enjoying a service without fulfilling their responsibility by filling their forms,” explained the MSO official.

But were the subscribers made aware of this?

Sharma said: “We have been sending dmails regularly (the mail that comes on the TV screen) and have disconnected only after that.”

Asked whether Hathway is also taking away boxes lying unseeded from LCOs, Sharma said: “We do not have many such boxes. We do not allow that to happen in the first place. Yes, there are always a handful of extra boxes with LCOs, just in case a sudden call comes for seeding, but we strictly monitor use of boxes.”

Company sources in Incable told indiantelevision.com: “People only take STBs if they want to see pay channels. If some people have taken STBs only for the digital experience, then they can see only FTA channels through the STB (if he has not given choice for any pay channel). We switch off (encrypt, with access denied) only pay channels not STB boxes.”

On the issue of taking unseeded boxes away from LCOs, Incable said: “All LCOs keep a minimum stock of STBs. As and when STBs are deployed, they give us the completed forms and details. The process is ongoing, so where is the question of return?”

Incable has details (customer choice) of around 75 per cent of the boxes (STBs) given to LCOs. The remaining STBs can be assumed as stocks lying with the LCOs, till we get the full details. As and when STBs are deployed, we get the form details.”

Incidentally, industry sources say that this is an important preparatory action for the extension of Cas, that seems clearly on the horizon now.

There are pressure groups which do not want Cas to be extended, sources reveal, and they would lobby the government to take the position that in the addressable universe, however small, if SMS does not work and QoS is not ensured, the industry would be nowhere.

Broadcasters have been saying they would be happy if SMS works, and as Trai officials told indiantelvision.com last week, unless an individual subscriber becomes “a number” from just a name that the local cable chappy knows by rote, unless data from a name is inputted into a computerised system, QoS cannot be ensured.

Neither can the revenue sharing, at whatever agreed ratio, be able to find a meaningful basis without actual data on how many STBs are opting which channels. This is the pressure of the broadcasters on the Trai and government at the moment, which is why the emphasis on “if SMS works”.

The wiser MSOs and the MSO Alliance are trying to persuade counterparts and this is a major part of the preparation for the first meeting between Trai and MSOs on the issue of Cas extension across the areas of the four metros to be held on 5 April.

Applications

Moltbook, the AI-only social network, sparks hype, doubt and fear

Published

1 month ago

February 3, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

CALIFORNIA: Moltbook, a Reddit-style social platform built exclusively for artificial intelligence agents, has emerged as the latest obsession in Silicon Valley, drawing intense attention for its explosive growth and surreal bot-driven interactions.

The platform hosts more than 100 communities where AI agents post, argue and joke about topics ranging from governance theory to esoteric “crayfish debugging” concepts. Within days of launch, Moltbook recorded tens of thousands of posts, nearly 200,000 comments and more than 1 million human visitors observing the activity.

Yet the numbers and the autonomy are under scrutiny, as per media reports. A security researcher has suggested as many as 500,000 accounts may trace back to a single address, raising doubts about Moltbook’s membership claims. Many posts could also be the result of humans instructing their AI tools to publish content, rather than bots acting independently.

The platform runs on agentic AI, powered by an open-source tool called OpenClaw, formerly known as Moltbot. Unlike chatbots such as ChatGPT or Gemini, these agents are designed to perform tasks on users’ devices, from sending messages to managing calendars, with minimal human input. Once authorised, they can interact freely on Moltbook.

Some tech figures have hailed the platform as a glimpse of a post-human internet. Head of crypto custody firm BitGo Bill Lees, called it evidence that “we’re in the singularity”.

Academics are less convinced. Petar Radanliev, an AI and cybersecurity expert at the University of Oxford, said the idea of agents acting independently was “misleading”, describing Moltbook instead as automated coordination within human-set constraints. Columbia Business School assistant professor David Holtz, dismissed the spectacle as “thousands of bots yelling into the void and repeating themselves”.

Beyond hype, security worries loom large. ESET global cybersecurity advisor Jake Moore, warned that granting AI agents access to emails, private messages and files risks prioritising efficiency over privacy. Andrew Rogoyski of the University of Surrey said high-level system access could lead to serious damage, from erased data to compromised company accounts.

Even OpenClaw’s founder Peter Steinberger, has felt the darker side of attention, with scammers hijacking his old social media handles after the platform’s rebrand.

For now, Moltbook remains a strange digital zoo: part experiment, part spectacle, where AI agents banter about philosophy, productivity and, occasionally, their fondness for their human operators.

Applications

Apple appoints Avtar Ram Singh as head of international marketing

Published

1 month ago

February 2, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

CALIFORNIA: Apple has handed a bigger global brief to a long-time insider. Avtar Ram Singh has taken over as head of international marketing for the App Store, Apple Arcade and the Apple Games app, deepening his remit across one of the company’s fastest-growing businesses.

“I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as head of international marketing, App Store, Apple Arcade and Games App at Apple,” Singh said while announcing the move.

The promotion crowns nearly seven years at Apple, where Singh has led services marketing across Southeast Asia and India and previously served as head of marketing for Southeast Asia content and services, business lead for Apple Podcasts in the region and interim marketing lead for the App Store internationally.

His new portfolio spans three pillars of Apple’s services push. The App Store, which Apple positions as a safe and trusted discovery platform, now attracts more than 850 million average weekly users globally. Since 2008, developers have earned over $550 billion on the platform.

Apple Arcade, the company’s gaming subscription service, offers unlimited access to a catalogue ranging from brain teasers to big-name franchises. The recent addition of Sid Meier’s Civilization VII Arcade Edition brings a AAA PC title to iPhone, iPad and Mac from 5 February.

Then there is the Apple Games app, unveiled at WWDC as a unified destination for games from the App Store and Arcade. It aggregates titles in one place, surfaces personalised recommendations, tracks events and achievements, and lets users compete with friends or connect controllers for a console-like experience.

Singh arrives with a hybrid background in strategy, data and creativity. His career spans digital and social media marketing, business intelligence, content, editorial and analytics across culturally diverse markets. He has worked on brands including P&G, Accor, Audi, UBS, Nikon, Samsung, Sony, Pizza Hut, HBO and Singapore Airlines-linked businesses such as Scoot.

Before Apple, Singh led strategy at Falcon Agency, focusing on performance marketing and ROI-driven digital frameworks. He earlier ran the social practice at Publicis Singapore, where he oversaw operations, business development and regional social strategy for multinational clients. His career also includes roles at Ogilvy-linked Circus Social, Rocket Internet ventures Lazada and Zalora, and research firm IDC in Bangkok, where he analysed technology markets and won early awards for collaboration and client retention.

At Apple, he has been close to several service launches and expansions, including Apple Fitness+ in Singapore, Apple Creator Studio, global podcast subscriptions and new App Store marketing tools.

The timing is notable. Apple’s services business has posted record years, and gaming is becoming a sharper battleground as platforms chase engagement and recurring revenue. Singh’s brief sits at the intersection of content, community and commerce.

In a market where attention is scarce and loyalty scarcer, Apple is betting that sharper storytelling and smarter marketing can keep users inside its ecosystem. Singh now holds the megaphone. The real test will be how loudly the world listens.

Applications

Cloud nine in the capital Bharathcloud plugs Delhi into its AI plans

Published

1 month ago

January 30, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Bharathcloud is bringing its cloud closer to power. The Hyderabad-based sovereign AI cloud services provider has opened its Delhi office, marking its formal entry into North India and setting the stage for its next phase of growth.

The expansion comes as India’s digital transformation fuels rising demand for AI-ready cloud infrastructure, driven by wider adoption of artificial intelligence, machine learning, the Internet of Things and data-heavy applications. With the new office, Bharathcloud plans to onboard more than 100 employees in 2026, strengthening its workforce to support customers across government, enterprises, MSMEs and social sectors.

The Delhi presence is expected to sharpen the company’s engagement with organisations seeking secure, scalable and cost-efficient cloud platforms that comply with India’s data sovereignty requirements. It also positions Bharathcloud closer to policy, public sector and enterprise decision-makers in the region.

Founded in Hyderabad, Bharathcloud offers AI-ready cloud infrastructure including Kubernetes-as-a-Service, zero-trust security architecture and multi-level data protection frameworks. Its platform supports AI and ML workloads, blockchain application migration from hyperscalers and distributed data management, with an emphasis on reliability, low latency and operational continuity.

“With the Delhi expansion, we are positioning Bharathcloud to engage more closely with AI-driven enterprises and technology hubs in North India,” said Bharathcloud co-founder Rahul Takallapally. He added that the move would help nurture local cloud and AI talent while accelerating the adoption of secure and resilient AI infrastructure across sectors.

The company currently operates in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kolkata, Lucknow and Chennai, employing over 200 people and serving more than 1,500 clients across manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, IT and media. Aligned with national initiatives such as Digital India and Make in India, Bharathcloud continues to focus on building indigenous AI-cloud infrastructure to support data localisation and the country’s growing appetite for next-generation digital solutions.

With its Delhi office now live, the company is signalling a clear intent: to make sovereign, AI-ready cloud infrastructure not just an alternative, but a mainstream choice for India’s north as well as its tech capitals.