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Category: Broadcast

  • EU proposes historic space law to regulate rising space industry

    EU proposes historic space law to regulate rising space industry

    The European Commission on Wednesday put forward the EU Space Act, a long-awaited overhaul of regulations affecting its fast-growing space industry.

    The legislation aims to create a single market for firms offering space services in the bloc while boosting efforts to be more competitive with the United States and other commercial space powers.

    It also includes measures to tackle the growing problem of congestion in space, where thousands of satellites are in orbit and 128 million pieces of debris are circulating.

    The European Commission said the legislation would also address threats from cyberattacks and electronic interference, and promote environmentally sustainable use of space resources.

    It would require satellites to be safely disposed of at the end of their operational life, mandate risk assessments and cybersecurity measures for space operators, and establish rules for measuring environmental impacts.

    “The 21st century will be the century of space and the century of the new frontier – new frontier: space,” said EU space and defence commissioner Andrius Kubilius.

    “We are at the start of a space revolution. Very soon, space will become massive.”

    The rules will apply to EU and national space assets and to non-EU operators who offer services in Europe.

    The proposal must be approved into law by the European Parliament and the EU Council. Reuters

  • Amid a new streaming effort, WBD’s digital aims in India face business hurdles

    Amid a new streaming effort, WBD’s digital aims in India face business hurdles

    Warner Bros. Dis­cov­ery’s decision to split its stream­ing and stu­dio busi­ness from its tra­di­tional TV net­works may give a fresh push to its digital plans in India—but grow­ing in the coun­try’s crowded and price-sens­it­ive OTT mar­ket won’t be easy.

    Under the restruc­tur­ing, Global Net­works will house enter­tain­ment, sports and news tele­vi­sion brands such as CNN and Dis­cov­ery, along with digital products includ­ing the dis­cov­ery+ stream­ing plat­form. The newly formed Stream­ing & Stu­dios entity will com­prise Warner Bros. Motion Pic­ture Group and DC Stu­dios, which will con­tinue releas­ing their films the­at­ric­ally in India.

    David Zaslav, pres­id­ent and chief exec­ut­ive officer of Warner Bros. Dis­cov­ery, said in a global release, “By oper­at­ing as two dis­tinct and optim­ised com­pan­ies, we are empower­ing these brands with the sharper focus and stra­tegic flex­ib­il­ity they need to com­pete most effect­ively in today’s evolving media land­scape.”

    ”This sep­ar­a­tion will invig­or­ate each com­pany by enabling them to lever­age their strengths and spe­cific fin­an­cial pro­files. This will also allow each com­pany to pur­sue import­ant invest­ment oppor­tun­it­ies and drive share­holder value,” added chief fin­an­cial officer Gun­nar Wieden­fels.

    The sep­ar­a­tion could allow Warner Bros. Dis­cov­ery to invest more aggress­ively in OTT in India, espe­cially in sub­scrip­tion-based mod­els. However, the chal­lenges are plenty. Cur­rently, the com­pany only runs the dis­cov­ery+ stream­ing ser­vice in India, while syn­dic­at­ing most of its intel­lec­tual prop­erty (IP) to Jio­Hot­star. Experts believe that the plat­form, now free from hav­ing to serve tra­di­tional TV audi­ences, could lean into bold, edgy con­tent aimed at younger demo­graph­ics.

    “The digital busi­ness isn’t big in India, and it will have to show rev­enue now,” said Gir­ish Dwibhashyam, stream­ing industry expert and former vice-pres­id­ent and chief oper­at­ing officer of Doc­uBay, a doc­u­ment­ary stream­ing ser­vice.

    “The split could reju­ven­ate their invest­ments in OTT but it would also bring down their nego­ti­at­ing power with Inter­net Ser­vice Pro­viders (ISPs) and aggreg­at­ors for dis­tri­bu­tion part­ner­ships since it would no longer come under the same umbrella as broad­cast,” he added.

    While Warner Bros. Dis­covery has dabbled in infotain­ment, sci­ence and myth­o­logy in India, Dwibhashyam sees room for more dar­ing con­tent exper­i­ments. Given that they no longer have the bag­gage of pro­du­cing the same pro­gram­ming for both TV and OTT, the com­pany could explore edgier themes, he said.

    Vinay V. Singh, man­aging dir­ector (USA), Primus Part­ners, added that the com­pany could now double down on high-qual­ity ori­gin­als and global formats.

    “These are key to cap­tur­ing Indian mil­len­ni­als and Gen Z in a fiercely com­pet­it­ive OTT land­scape,” he said. Singh also said HBO-branded con­tent, cur­rently avail­able via videoon-demand through part­ner­ships like Jio­Hot­star, may gain more muscle with renewed global back­ing. Des­pite the digital optim­ism, lin­ear tele­vi­sion remains dom­in­ant in India, espe­cially in smal­ler towns and non-Eng­lish­speak­ing mar­kets. However, if other global media giants fol­low Warner Bros. Dis­cov­ery’s decoup­ling strategy, stan­dalone TV units may need to raise ad or sub­scrip­tion rates to remain viable. LiveMint

  • Starlink, Elon Musk’s satellite internet service, debuts in India

    Starlink, Elon Musk’s satellite internet service, debuts in India

    The Government of India recently approved Elon Musk’s SpaceX-owned Starlink to begin operations in the country. Union Minister for Communications and Development of the North Eastern Region, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, announced via an official post that Starlink has received its operating license, marking the formal entry of SpaceX’s satellite internet service into the Indian market. Starlink, currently operational in over 100 nations, is SpaceX’s ambitious satellite internet project aimed at transforming global connectivity. Its goal is to deliver high-speed internet directly from space, redefining how remote and underserved areas access the web.

    Starlink has become the third firm to receive authorization from the Department of Telecommunications to offer satellite-based internet services in India, following Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications. Meanwhile, a fourth contender, Amazon’s Project Kuiper, is still in the process of securing the necessary regulatory clearances.

    Starlink is a satellite-based internet solution created by SpaceX, the U.S.-based aerospace and space transport firm established in 2002 by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk. The service delivers fast, low-latency broadband internet across the globe through its advanced satellite network, often referred to as “internet from the skies.” In contrast to traditional satellite systems that depend on geostationary satellites located far from Earth, Starlink operates using the world’s largest constellation of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, positioned roughly 550 kilometers above the planet’s surface.

    Starlink price in India:
    As per reports on the internet, the company has finalised its pricing structure for the Indian market, setting the cost of the required satellite dish device at approximately Rs 33,000. The monthly unlimited data plan is expected to be priced at Rs 3,000. As part of its launch strategy, Starlink plans to offer a complimentary one-month trial period with each device purchase, allowing customers to test the service before committing to regular monthly payments. The service is expected ro arrive soon in India.

    Starlink Internet Speeds:
    Starlink delivers fast internet access with speeds typically ranging from 25 Mbps up to 220 Mbps. Many users consistently experience speeds exceeding 100 Mbps. Unlike conventional fiber or mobile services, Starlink functions independently, making it ideal for providing reliable connectivity in remote or underserved locations. Financial Express

  • Zee Entertainment seeks to Zee5’s FY26 breakeven point

    Zee Entertainment seeks to Zee5’s FY26 breakeven point

    Zee Entertainment is aiming to breakeven in its digital business, Zee5, in the current financial year, the company stated in its latest investor update. The company is also targeting higher margins, increased viewership share, and 8–10% growth in advertising revenue during the fiscal year, it said.

    The update comes as Zee’s promoters prepare to increase their stake in the company from around 4% to 18.39% by investing ₹2,237 crore through a preferential allotment of 169.5 million fully convertible warrants. The warrants will be issued at ₹132 each, representing a 2.65% premium (₹3.42 per warrant) over the Sebi-prescribed floor price of ₹128.58.

    In FY25, Zee5 narrowed its Ebitda loss to ₹548 crore, down from ₹1,105 crore in FY24. The company has been aggressively cutting costs, with a target of achieving an 18–20% Ebitda margin in FY26, up from 14.6% in FY25, according to analysts tracking the company.

    The company is also aiming to unlock value via the music and syndication business, it said. And is looking to increase television viewership share to 17.5%, in comparison to 16.8% share it had seen in the previous financial year.

    The investor presentation states that Zee, which has evolved into a content and technology-led media powerhouse, is building a strong cash reserve to strengthen its market position. As of March 31, the company reported cash and cash equivalents of ₹2,406 crore. The board has already approved the issuance of fully convertible warrants worth ₹2,237 crore, as outlined in the update.

    The company also said that it was developing new business verticals to expand its target audience and augment revenue streams. It was also looking at enhancing its content offerings to address different age cohorts and was eyeing acquisitions and partnerships to beef up its portfolio.

    Shares of Zee Entertainment closed trade 12.45% up on the BSE on Monday at Rs 149.50 apiece, even as the broader BSE Sensex was down 0.62% amid rising tensions in the Middle East. The stock is up 10% so far in June and is now up for the fourth straight month, sector analysts said. Financial Express

  • One out of four Indians solely use their phones for study & gaming

    One out of four Indians solely use their phones for study & gaming

    Nearly one in four Indians said in a survey they use only mobile phones to consume media content, as TVs stay unaffordable for many, prompting companies from Meta Platforms Inc. to Netflix Inc. to boost digital strategies in the world’s largest consumer market.

    The number of users who only use digital channels ballooned to 23% in the March quarter of 2025, according to market research firm Kantar’s Media Compass report this week, which surveyed 87,000 Indians across the country. That compares with 15% in the same period in 2023.

    The trend is skewed toward lower-income groups and rural users, especially men, said Puneet Avasthi, director of specialist businesses at Kantar’s Insights Division for South Asia. Many people who are now consuming digital content on mobile phones were “media dark,” he said, as television sets and multiple OTT subscriptions are costly.

    Booming internet access, spurred by affordable smartphones and monthly mobile phone tariffs as low as $4, has made India one of the largest digital consumer bases. Also, for many Indians, a smartphone is the first screen they ever used for watching content or shopping, unlike developed nations where people transitioned from TV to computers to mobile phones.

    The survey’s findings buttress this point further and signal how global media giants, including Amazon.com Inc.’s Prime Video and Meta’s Instagram, can finetune their marketing strategies as they seek more subscribers in the nation with more than 1.4 billion consumers.

    India has among the highest share of internet traffic globally coming from mobile phones, at 78.6%, according to a January report by marketing agency PrioriData. This compares with 62.8% in China and 43.1% in the US.

    Satellite internet in India is also set to get a boost, with Starlink receiving approval from India’s telecom ministry to roll out its services capping a years-long effort by Elon Musk’s firm.

    Surging E-Commerce
    Digital platforms provide potential for a “very wide basket of categories” to grow among India’s masses, Avasthi said. Surging e-commerce presence is allowing consumers to buy products that are not otherwise available in rural markets with “the click of a button,” he added.

    From electrical appliance firms like Voltas Ltd. who benefit from deepening electrification to soft drink and snack sellers, multiple industries are targeting rural audiences, Avasthi said.

    Online marketplaces like Softbank Group Corp.-backed Meesho and Walmart Inc.-backed Flipkart are also deepening their penetration in smaller towns in India by selling more affordable products, riding on the growing digital presence of Indian buyers.

    Netflix offers a mobile-only plan for as little as 149 rupees ($1.72) in the country, with other providers also offering similar mobile-only experiences.

    Apart from mobile phones, the more premium option of connected TV, which allows users to watch television as well as access the internet, has emerged as a “strong segment” with 35 million users being added in the quarter. Bloomberg

  • With improving rural access, the TRAI report shows slow internet uptake

    With improving rural access, the TRAI report shows slow internet uptake

    Even as India’s telecom infrastructure continues to expand—especially in rural regions—new data from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India reveals a concerning stagnation in actual internet adoption. The report for the January–March 2025 quarter highlights a paradox: rising access, but slowing engagement.

    According to the TRAI report, the total number of internet subscribers declined marginally by 0.11%, dropping from 970.16 million to 969.10 million. This marks the second consecutive quarter where internet growth has been largely flat, despite significant government and private investment in digital infrastructure.

    The broadband subscriber base also saw a minor dip of 0.09%, falling to 944.12 million, while narrowband users decreased to 24.98 million. This decline comes even as India’s overall telecom subscriber base grew to 1.2 billion, showing a 0.91% quarterly increase, largely driven by mobile and fixed wireless access (5G-FWA).

    Rural reach improves, but engagement lags
    One of the key highlights of the report is the continued rise in rural connectivity. Rural teledensity improved to 59.06%, up from 58.29% in the previous quarter. Rural wireless subscriptions alone grew 1.33%, reaching 531.18 million. The rural share in total subscriptions also nudged up from 44.31% to 44.53%.

    But this growth in physical connectivity has not translated into increased digital usage. The internet density in rural India remains at just 45.03 per 100 population, while urban India boasts 110.79 per 100—indicating near saturation.

    Urban saturation meets rural hesitation
    Experts suggest India may be hitting a demand plateau in urban markets, where most users are already online. Meanwhile, in rural regions, affordability, digital literacy, and content relevance remain major barriers. This stagnation in internet growth poses a challenge to the government’s digital public infrastructure agenda and to telecom operators betting on data-driven revenue expansion.

    This divergence is also reflected in the financial metrics: while Average Revenue Per User hit a new high of Rs 182.95, and Gross Revenue rose 1.93% to Rs 98,250 crore, these gains appear to be coming from existing users consuming more, rather than new users entering the digital economy.

    As India lays the groundwork for 5G rollouts and explores 6G R&D, the TRAI data serves as a reality check. Connectivity is no longer the biggest hurdle—adoption is. Bridging this gap will require more than just spectrum auctions and fiber rollouts; it will demand targeted investments in digital literacy, vernacular content, and last-mile affordability. NDTV Profit

  • Free WiFi hotspots via ISPs cost Nepali telecom firms Rs 14B yearly.

    Free WiFi hotspots via ISPs cost Nepali telecom firms Rs 14B yearly.

    Internet Service Providers’ WiFi Mobility (free WiFi Hotspot) service has reportedly cost telecom companies revenue of Rs 14 billion annually. The often-debated customer service from fixed-line internet providers seems to have further contributed to making telcos’ finances weaker.

    Nepal’s top ISPs, such as WorldLink and Vianet, provide WiFi hotspot services. Users can connect to these networks on the go. This facility comes at no cost to users. However, this removes the need to buy mobile data packs for users while going out of their homes and offices.

    Now, telcos (Nepal Telecom and Ncell) have projected that this ISP’s facility costs them Rs 14 billion a year.

    Why do ISPs provide WiFi mobility service?
    ISPs have been providing WiFi mobility service to extend their customer satisfaction. It’s a value differentiation facility from their side. It promotes their internet and also strengthens their foundation with their customer base.

    However, the free hotspot service they provide conflicts with the legal bylaw for their operation. Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) is aware of the service as well. Earlier, it emerged that NTA could close WiFi Mobility services. Nepali telcos have complained that free WiFi hotspots have worsened their already struggling financial gains.

    Telcos are not satisfied with ISPs’ Free WiFi Hotspot service
    Both NTC and Ncell have publicly stated that ISPs’ WiFi Mobility has impacted their revenues. In its third quarter report for FY 2081/82, NTC mentioned that ISP’s free WiFi hotspots had affected its earnings. At the same time, Ncell CEO and MD Jabbor Kayumov has also been vocal on the same matter. The private operator argues that Nepal’s lower per-user data consumption owes to the free WiFi Hotspot services of ISPs.

    To put it into perspective, India’s per-user data consumption is over 20 GB a month in late 2024. It dwarfs Nepal’s 6 GB usage per user per month during the same period.

    NTA’s bylaw holds that ISPs can offer their WiFi Hotspot service at select places, but for a limited time and volume of data. However, ISPs are providing unlimited access where a user can surf the internet after logging in.

    The issue also involves the license renewal and the frequency of payment. Telcos pay the government Rs 20 billion in license renewal, while ISPs only need to pay Rs 2.70 lakh. This wide discrepancy in government fees has also forced telcos to raise their concern over ISPs’ Free WiFi hotspot service.

    ISPs deny that WiFi Mobility is illegal
    However, ISPs weigh in on the matter with their rationale. ISPAN chair Sudhir Parajuli refutes the tag that the WiFi Hotspot service is illegal. He points out the government’s own investment in WiFi hotspots across the country.

    He adds, “The Government has utilized RTDF funds to operate free WiFi Mobility in 220 places. It’s serving in government hospitals, religious places, etc.” He adds that if it’s about the Rs 20 billion fee in license renewal, there is a ‘grey’ area. “Who takes security guarantees for the equipment?” he asks.

    Meanwhile, NTA seems to have concluded that WiFi Mobility is an impediment to telecommunications. On numerous occasions, NTA chair Bhupendra Bhandari has stated that it plans to shut down such services. So maybe, we may have to buy data packs while setting out for internet access. Nepali Telecom

  • India now has over 1.2B telecom users: TRAI

    India now has over 1.2B telecom users: TRAI

    India’s telecom sector continues to show growth, with the total number of telephone subscribers crossing the 1.2 billion mark, according to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Thursday.

    The total subscriber base increased from 1,189.92 million in December 2024 to 1,200.80 million in March 2025. Tele-density also rose during the quarter — reflecting better connectivity across urban and rural areas.

    Urban subscribers grew to 666.11 million, while rural subscribers touched 534.69 million.

    This growth led to an increase in rural tele-density, indicating deeper digital reach in remote regions.

    The share of rural subscriptions also rose from 44.31 per cent at the end of December 2024 to 44.53 per cent at the end of March 2025.

    Wireless subscriptions witnessed significant growth, with more than 13 million new connections added during the quarter ending March 31.

    The combined mobile and 5G FWA user base reached 1,163.76 million, while traditional mobile connections alone rose to 1,156.99 million.

    This suggests growing interest in mobile services across consumer segments.

    India’s broadband internet landscape remains robust, with over 944 million subscribers.

    This reflects India’s continued dominance as one of the world’s largest internet user bases, even as new technologies shape the way people connect.

    The sector also saw an improvement in financial performance. Gross Revenue (GR) for the quarter stood at Rs 98,250 crore, with Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) touching Rs 79,226 crore.

    License fee collections also grew, underlining the strong demand for telecom services.

    Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) for wireless services rose to Rs 182.95, with prepaid users contributing Rs 182.53 and postpaid users averaging Rs 187.48 per month.

    User engagement remained high, as average minutes of usage per month increased to 1,026 — showing higher interaction with telecom services for voice, data, and content.

    The broadcasting sector remained stable, with 333 satellite pay TV channels reported out of 908 permitted channels, including 101 HD channels.

    The Pay DTH segment recorded an active user base of 56.92 million, offering a wide range of content alongside Doordarshan’s free services. The Hans India

  • Starlink gets a permit; tests & security criteria success remain awaited

    Starlink gets a permit; tests & security criteria success remain awaited

    Elon Musk’s Starlink Services, which delivers high-speed internet almost anywhere on the Earth, has got the approval from the Department of Telecom (DoT) for commercial operations, said Telecom Secretary Neeraj Mittal.

    However, they still need to get another couple of approvals from the department. “Once they apply for spectrum, they need to do the testing and then show compliance to the security conditions,” he told businessline on the sidelines of a symposium here on Thursday.

    When asked if there is any timeframe, he said, “essentially it is in the hands of Starlink now. Government is not standing in the way.”

    Starlink is the third company to get a licence from DoT, which had approved similar applications by Eutelsat’s OneWeb and Reliance Jio to provide services in the country.

    Satcom Licence
    On Amazon Kuiper getting a licence for satcom, Mittal said, “I think application is in place, but I think it is a little distance from approval.”

    If there is any timeline on getting the licence, he said, “I don’t think it is in our hands. They have to pursue it and come up with whatever gaps there are in the application,” he said.

    Mittal was in Chennai to inaugurate the first Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) Symposium 2025. The three-day event brought together thought leaders, innovators, and industry stakeholders to explore India’s strides in telecom R&D, indigenous technologies, and the vision for a digitally empowered Bharat.

    After giving a brief about the fund, Mittal urged the audience to raise any issue that they may have about the fund, which was launched two years ago, and improve it.

    Later talking to newspersons, Mittal said the department is working on re-vamping the entire sanction programme of TTDF. The idea of the whole workshop is to actually get people to tell what is not working and how it can be made better.

    Digital Bharat Nidhi, erstwhile Universal Service Obligation Fund under the DoT launched TTDF on October 1, 2022.

    There has been a tremendous amount of funds which have flown into the telecom sector. The challenge of this programme is collaboration. Getting synergies across projects. This symposium is really intended to bring all this knowledge together, he said.

    Proposals doubled
    Mittal said in 2024-25, the number of proposals evaluated doubled to 941 as against 405 in the previous year. A total of 125 proposals were approved in 2024-25 as against seven in the previous year (up by 18 times) and the number of MoUs winged was 111 as against 7 (15 times). In 2024-25, a sum of ₹297 crore was approved as against ₹255 in the corresponding year. A sum of ₹158 crore was disbursed (₹29 crore), he said.

    Mittal said the department is also on an electronic platform by which knowledge sharing can happen among various stakeholders. “We want to keep this pace going and we hope that we will be able to learn with all these suggestions made to improve upon the existing structure,” he said.

    Mittal said that a lot of research is happening.

    “We have made targeted calls for chipset design, rural connectivity pilots, 6G, Quantum standardisation and certification, financial support for market readiness. We are trying to cover the entire supply chain of the telecom research ecosystem,” he said. The Hindu BusinessLine

  • New funding is secured by Brightspeed to support the fiber broadband use

    New funding is secured by Brightspeed to support the fiber broadband use

    New funding will help accelerate Brightspeed’s effort to reach 5 million homes with fiber, the Charlotte-based internet service provider (ISP) has announced.

    The $575 million in new funding, announced Thursday, builds on the $3.7 billion raised by Brightspeed in 2024, according to the ISP.

    Brightspeed, which operates a footprint that spans across 20 states, says they’ve passed approximately 1 million homes with fiber in 2025.

    “The additional capital reflects robust support from investors and affirms their confidence in the Brightspeed thesis: a large, underpenetrated footprint, a focused and proven build engine, and a long runway for value creation through fiber expansion,” the ISP’s release explained.

    Michel Combes, Brightspeed’s executive chairman and CEO, said the new capital will allow Brightspeed to maintain their aggressive build strategy.

    In comments included with Brightspeed’s release, he said the company will continue “bringing high-speed connectivity to communities that have historically lacked quality broadband options.”

    “We’ve made tremendous progress, and this new funding underscores the credit market’s belief in our strategy and reaffirms the strength of our execution,” Combes said.

    Beyond private funding, nearly $300 million in public broadband grants and subsidies have been secured by Brightspeed to date, the ISP stated.

    The company, which leverages XGS-PON technology to deliver multi-gig speeds, remains focused on building fiber “quickly and efficiently, bringing future-proof fiber connectivity to as many homes and businesses in our footprint as possible,” Combes stated.

    “We are delivering results at scale and remain committed to maintain our strong build momentum,” he said.

    Currently, Brightspeed services are across 530 communities, the ISP’s release stated, with a network platform capable of serving over 7 million homes and businesses. BBCMag