Category: Broadcast

The project explores how existing subsea cables could double as a global distributed sensing network for earthquakes and tsunamis.

With over five billion kilometres of optical fibre already deployed worldwide—much of it in regions beyond the reach of traditional sensors—researchers see an opportunity to create large-scale sensing capabilities without requiring new infrastructure deployment.

Backed by €4 million in EU funding, the ECSTATIC consortium consists of 14 academic and industrial partners working to develop interferometry and polarisation-based methodologies that could improve vibration and acoustic sensing through fibre-optic cables.

The group’s approach aims to enhance sensitivity, detection range, and location accuracy while incorporating advanced data processing and AI and machine learning for real-time event monitoring.

Testing is currently underway using the Tyrrhenian segment of Sparkle’s BlueMed subsea cable system between Genoa and Palermo, with data being stored at Sparkle’s Network Operation Centre in Catania.

The trials will evaluate the technology’s potential for seismic early warning systems, predictive maintenance, and network integrity monitoring.

“Our involvement in the ECSTATIC project is a clear example of Sparkle’s vision to push the boundaries of what digital networks can achieve,” commented Enrico Bagnasco, CEO of Sparkle. “By using our existing global fibre infrastructure, we demonstrate how the telecommunication industry can play a critical role in seismic monitoring and network protection.”

Sparkle’s participation builds on earlier experiments with the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), with the pair agreeing last December to study if its subsea fibre optic cables can help detect seismic events. Capacity Media

Netflix executives on Thursday backed the company’s revenue outlook for the year and voiced confidence that the streaming service would weather any economic turbulence from President Donald Trump’s erratic tariff plans. Following an earnings report that topped analyst expectations, Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters said the company had not seen any significant shifts in customer behavior, commentary that is likely to ease Wall Street concerns that Trump’s policies would prompt lately frugal consumers to reconsider spending on streaming services.

Netflix shares rose 2.7% in after-hours trading. The stock has risen 9% so far this year, compared with a 10% slump in the broader S&P 500 index (.SPX).

With more than 300 million global customers, Netflix has continued to sign up subscribers in markets around the world as consumers flocked to its lower-priced, ad-supported tier since its launch in late 2022.

Peters noted that the entertainment sector, and Netflix specifically, had proven resilient during previous downturns in the economy. “We really do expect the demand to remain strong,” he said.
He added that the company’s lower-cost options also should help. The ad-supported tier accounted for 55% of new sign-ups in countries where it is available, the company has said.]

The streaming giant also said its co-founder, Reed Hastings, had left his post as executive chairman to become the board’s non-executive chair, “part of the natural evolution of our leadership structure and succession planning.”

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said the company remained focused “on the things we can control, and improving the value of Netflix is a big one.”

“In difficult economies, home entertainment value is really important to consumer households,” Sarandos said, “and Netflix is a tremendous value in absolute terms and certainly in competitive terms.”

The company projected its revenue would rise to $11.04 billion for April through June, above the analyst consensus of $10.90 billion.

For the year, Netflix reaffirmed its forecast of revenue between $43.5 billion and $44.5 billion, “which assumes healthy member growth, higher subscription pricing and a rough doubling of our ad revenue.”

For the first quarter, Netflix reported revenue of $10.54 billion, edging past analysts’ estimates of $10.52 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG.

Per-share earnings of $6.61 exceeded consensus estimates of $5.71. The company released hits such as the limited series “Adolescence”, drama thriller “Zero Day” and the unscripted series “Temptation Island” during the quarter.

Netflix said revenue and operating income beat its own guidance “due to slightly higher subscription and ad revenue and the timing of expenses.” It said advertising revenue was “still very small relative to subscription revenue.”

PP Foresight analyst Paolo Pescatore said he believed Netflix was in a strong position to handle a recession.

“Netflix is an indispensable service in users’ lives. It will be the last subscription that users will cancel given the broad and breadth of programming,” Pescatore said. Reuters

Ad-supported, free-to-watch shows such as Ek Badnaam Aashram and Hip Hop India on Amazon MX Player made a splash when they dropped on the streaming platform over the past two months, topping OTT viewership charts for several weeks and reinforcing the view that AVoD (advertising video-on-demand) content can serve as a potent hook for consumers to convert them into subscribers.

Entertainment industry experts say that while free programming will continue to generate high viewership and reach, given the easy access and sampling, it is the paywalled content for subscribers that will bring in real revenue and engagement. In essence, a hybrid model of content monetization is the way forward for over-the-top platforms, they argued.

There is a clear trend where free, ad-supported content is attracting a larger audience compared to subscription-based models, Kaushik Das, founder and CEO of AAONXT, a platform specialising in Odia content, said.

“The ease of accessibility and zero cost make AVoD an attractive choice, especially in price-sensitive markets like India. As more platforms adopt a hybrid model, AVoD will serve as an entry point for users who may later opt for premium content through SVoD.

However, the key to sustaining SVoD growth will be exclusive, high-quality content that justifies its price—be it through early access, premium productions, or unique storytelling that isn’t available for free,” Das pointed out.

MX bets big on AVoD
According to estimates by media consulting firm Ormax, the latest season of Aashram garnered viewerships of 9.6 million in its opening week, rising to 10.1 million in the second week before slipping to 8.1 million in the third week, yet consistently ranking number one on the list of top AVoD and SVoD (subscription video-on-demand) shows through March.

Another Amazon MX show Hip Hop India Season Two debuted with a viewership of 4.3 million, right behind Aashram, last month.

“Both AVoD and SVoD have distinct content offerings, which attract different types of audiences. For a free AVoD service, providing friction-free access to viewing is critical so that a large number of customers can easily browse and view shows,” Aruna Daryanani – director of Amazon MX Player, said. “In addition, we also need to ensure that the viewing experience continues to be best-in-class, despite fluctuations in mobile data availability and that data consumption is optimal.”

As smartphones prices drop and with data in India already the cheapest in the world, there is still a significant opportunity for video consumption growth, Daryanani asserted, adding that both AVoD and SVoD can co-exist.

Emphasizing Amazon MX Player’s commitment to AVoD content, Amogh Dusad, the company’s head of content, said that the platform recently announced its 100-plus show slate for 2025, which includes titles like Made in India: The Titan Story, starring Naseeruddin Shah and Jim Sarbh, Mitti featuring Ishwaq Singh, the second season of Hunter, an action and thriller series starring Suniel Shetty and Jackie Shroff, and Rise and Fall, a reality show with entrepreneur Ashneer Grover as the game – master.

Hybrid model wins favour
While there is no denying the high delta in terms of reach and views that AVoD content enjoys, there is enough logic in adopting a hybrid approach that continues to prioritize SVoD, according to some entertainment industry experts. While AVoD helps sampling, only SVoD can drive users to stay loyal to a platform.

Charu Malhotra, co-founder and managing director, Primus Partners, a management consultancy firm, said the SVoD audience base experienced a decline, dropping from 153 million in 2023 to 150.6 million in 2024. This indicates stagnation in subscriber acquisition and retention. To counter this, SVoD platforms may need to innovate their content strategies, offer exclusive high-quality content and enhance user engagement to justify subscription costs.

“Free content will always have a market in India, but most AVoD business models can’t achieve break-even on a standalone basis. AVoD needs to be integrated with commerce, customer acquisition, and so on, in order for a sustainable business,” Ashish Pherwani, M&E (media and entertainment) sector leader, EY India, said. LiveMint

Fiber provider HyperFiber has selected Render Networks to support the automation and scaling of its network in expanding markets, including Colorado and Florida.

The partnership comes as HyperFiber ramps up national expansion efforts and looks to improve efficiency in field operations and project management. The company reports that Render’s deployment management platform will be used to improve field-to-office coordination and automate construction workflows.

Matt Myers, SVP of Construction at HyperFiber, reported that integrated automation, data visibility, and operational coordination are necessary for efficient fiber deployments.

“Render empowers our teams to catch billing discrepancies early and ensure field data integrity, minimizing rework and optimizing field operations for scalable, accelerated network builds,” said Myers in a press release. “The result is faster deployment, stronger growth, and better service for our communities.”

Render Networks CEO Stephen Rose said that HyperFiber is working to close the digital divide.

“They’re reimagining how networks are built with real-time data and AI-powered automation from Render to deliver high-speed, reliable broadband to communities faster than ever before,” said Rose in the same press release. Lightwave Online

Recent shifts inUS trade policy, including the implementation and adjustment of tariffs, have introduced uncertainty into global markets. Temporary rollbacks and exceptions—such as reduced rates and product-specific carve-outs—have added to the complexity, particularly in response to market reactions.

As of now, the effective average tariff rate on US imports is estimated at 27%, the highest level since the early 20th century, reflecting broader efforts to recalibrate trade dynamics. Accordingly, a key question from clients remains: how will changing tariff policies affect broadband deployments and the demand for related equipment?

Given the frequent adjustments to trade policy—including recent exemptions for smartphones, consumer electronics, and certain GPUs—it remains challenging to forecast the full extent of the impact on broadband infrastructure in the near term.

What follows are our best estimates as to the impact tariffs will have this year and beyond on the broadband market:

In the US, tariffs will have minimal impact on most fiber broadband equipment pricing and deployments
Key fiber broadband equipment providers in the US have already moved most of their assembly and manufacturing to the US in order to adhere to the BABA (Build America, Buy America) waiver of the NTIA’s BEAD (Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment) program. Though not all of the products being deployed in broadband access networks have been onshored, the most commonly deployed components—PON OLTs, ONTs, cabinets, and fiber-optic cable—have already been self-certified by the respective vendors and have already seen substantial increases in domestic manufacturing.

Beyond BABA, some major operators have multi-year purchase agreements in place for fiber-optic cabling and connectors that should protect them from any impact of tariffs on the import of silica and other raw materials used in the manufacture of fiber cables. For example, in 2024, AT&T signed a $1 billion multi-year agreement with Corning to ensure a stable supply of fiber cable and connectivity solutions. Originally intended to safeguard against supply shortages, this move now also serves to mitigate the risk of rising component costs.

Unlike FTTH, cable outside plant upgrades in support of DOCSIS 4.0 are likely to be impacted
Commscope, which manufactures amplifiers and outer outside plant components in Mexico, and Teleste, which manufactures amplifiers in Finland, will both be impacted by tariffs at any level. We suspect that these manufacturers are either looking to relocate these facilities or manufacturing to the US or are seeking waivers in order to satisfy growing demand from Comcast, Charter, Cox, and others. The relocation of manufacturing is no trivial task and will introduce shipment delays beyond the inventory both already have in their warehouses. The time it takes to move manufacturing is a primary argument for the more gradual introduction of tariffs as opposed to introduction and implementation on the same day.

Additionally, Vecima Networks, which is delivering GAP (Generic Access Platform) nodes to US operators, has already signaled that tariffs will also be materially significant at any level. The net result for cable operators pursuing DOCSIS 4.0 is additional deployment delays as well as increased equipment prices.

Residential Wi-Fi routers will feel an impact
Just as Wi-Fi vendors are looking to ride the wave of Wi-Fi 7 penetration into more homes and businesses, tariffs at any level will easily increase the retail cost of even the most popular Wi-Fi brands by anywhere from 5 to 15%. China, Taiwan, and Vietnam are the manufacturing sources for the vast majority of these devices and, although these devices have been exempted from the tariffs as of Friday night, the likelihood of those full exemptions remaining is very slim, in our opinion.

Indirect impacts of tariffs and forecast adjustments
The challenge for all industries now is that they simply cannot unsee what has already happened. The state of economic recovery in many countries and industries was already fragile after dealing with the supply shock of the COVID-19 pandemic, which introduced accelerated levels of inflation that were only exacerbated by government policies designed to stimulate economies. Those macroeconomic challenges were felt acutely in telecom equipment purchasing as service providers overbought capacity in 2022 and early 2023 and then had to focus on drawing down those inventories, putting pressure on their equipment vendors to sustain themselves during the spending slowdown. Just as these businesses are set to rebound and return to more normalized and consistent purchasing levels, tariffs are introduced, making the road to recovery cloudier.

In our January 2025 forecast, we had already reduced our expectations for North American broadband equipment spending from our July 2024 forecasts. These adjustments accounted for moderate tariff increase of 15-30% for imported electronics, semiconductors, and other components from China. However, the broader scope of tariffs, which now includes countries like Vietnam and India, exceeds our initial expectations.

However, the tariffs and their resulting costs passed on to end customers actually play only a small role in the forecast changes. The expectation that the BEAD program would come under review and delay the initiation of select fiber projects also played a role in our forecast reductions. Though we were expecting a very limited amount of BEAD funds to actually flow through to broadband equipment providers in 2025, we did expect to see some in the fourth quarter. Now, we highly doubt any money will be spent on OLTs or ONTs this year, instead pushing the spend well into 2026.

The bigger concern we had going into 2025 was the uncertainty among consumers and businesses alike about what impact the new administration’s policies would have on overall spending and investment patterns. After two years of steady inflation and higher interest rates, US consumer confidence was already trending downward. Consumer debt levels were rising and stubbornly high mortgage rates limited the number of new homes being purchased, as well as overall refinancing. With consumer spending in the US typically 68% of GDP, any further decline in confidence could result in consumers pulling back from spending.

And that is where the maelstrom around tariffs this past week has left consumers very concerned about what the immediate future holds for them. That uncertainty is likely to result in consumers either maintaining their current spend on broadband services or downgrading those services to save some money each month. The combination of consumers managing their communications budgets more tightly, fewer new home purchases, and less moves all means it will be incredibly difficult for broadband providers to continue to grow residential ARPU.

Lack of ARPU growth could result in some delays in planned upgrades from GPON to XGS-PON or from DOCSIS 3.1 to DOCSIS 4.0, for example. But it won’t stop the continued buildout of fiber networks in both greenfield and overbuild scenarios, because those are long-term investments with decades-long returns. Even if the cost to pass and connect homes increases due to tariff-induced price increases, the fiber strategies of major operators including AT&T, Frontier, Lumen, and others aren’t going to change.

Broadband and mobile bundling will undoubtedly accelerate this year as telco and cable operators try to lock in subscribers early with aggressive pricing and incentives on mobile services. Those moves will eat into ARPU growth, as well. But service providers will forgo some margins in the short-term in order to expand their subscriber base when the market volatility subsides. Dell’Oro

Netflix has set out its ambition to double its revenue to $39bn (£29.4bn) in the next five years and grow the number of subscribers by 35%.

Executives at the streaming giant were “optimistic” in revealing growth goals for 2030 with senior staff at an annual business review meeting last month, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

Besides the ambitious revenue target, senior leaders said the aim was to triple Netflix’s operating income of $10bn (£7.6bn), according to people who attended the meeting.

Additionally, the execs set out a push to grow the number of subscribers around the world from just over 300m last year to 410m in 2030, after Q4 2024 which brought in a record 18.9m subscribers internationally. The focus will be on growing the subscription base outside of the crowded US market, the WSJ reported, in territories with high broadband penetration including India and Brazil.

They also disclosed the ambition to earn about $9bn (£6.8bn) in global ad sales. While Netflix does not disclose its ad revenue, estimates suggest US ad revenues at the streamer will top $2.2bn (£1.6bn) in 2025.

The launch of an ad-supported tier in 2022 – as well as moves to raise prices and limit password sharing – has helped the streamer cement its market capitalisation of almost $400bn (£302bn). It now aims to more than double its value to $1tn (£755bn) by 2030, according to the report.

The meeting took place in March, before President Trump revealed plans to introduce tariffs which wiped off trillions of dollars of value on the global stock market. The WSJ warned that further market volatility could complicate the streamer’s growth ambitions, with the ad-market particularly vulnerable.

But, it also pointed out, streaming could be less affected as people choose to stay home and watch TV in a bid to save money. Broadcast Now

Sinclair has submitted extensive comments to the Federal Communications Commission urging sweeping deregulation of broadcast ownership rules and acceleration of the NextGen TV ATSC 3.0 transition.

In their April 11 filing responding to the FCC’s “Delete, Delete, Delete” initiative seeking input on rules that could be modified or eliminated, Sinclair argued that broadcasters face an unfair competitive landscape against largely unregulated Big Tech platforms.

“Broadcasters are competing with Big Media and overpowered and unregulated new Big Tech entrants with both hands tied behind our backs due to archaic regulatory structures that fail to reflect current competitive conditions,” Sinclair stated in its filing.

Ownership reform seen as critical
The broadcast group identified the elimination of both local and national ownership caps as its top priorities for regulatory relief.

Sinclair contended that the National Ownership Cap, which prohibits a single entity from owning stations that collectively reach more than 39% of U.S. television households, is “based on the faulty premise that a broadcaster at the top of the cap has a 39% market share.”

“The Commission is in fact required by the plain language of the statute to reduce or eliminate regulatory constraints in light of competition to serve the public interest,” Sinclair argued, referring to Congress’s directive that the FCC review its media ownership rules every four years.

“True national reach is an opportunity accessible to virtually all video programming platforms other than broadcast television, putting broadcasters at a severe competitive disadvantage,” Sinclair noted on the competitive disadvantage broadcasters face.

Sinclair warned that maintaining current regulations threatens local journalism.

“If broadcasters are artificially constrained by a head-in-the-sand regulatory approach that ignores competitive realities, they will inevitably be forced to cut local news budgets just as overregulation forced many newspapers to shut down—leaving local communities with less local journalism and fewer options.”

ATSC 3.0 transition timeline supported
Sinclair expressed support for the National Association of Broadcasters‘ petition to establish a timeline to complete the ATSC 3.0 transition in the top 55 markets by February 2028 and all other markets by February 2030.

The broadcast group recommended several rule modifications to facilitate the transition:

• Relaxing coverage requirements for ATSC 1.0 simulcast signals
• Reducing the expedited processing threshold from 95% to 75% coverage
• Eliminating requirements to post and update hosting arrangements
• Shortening the MVPD notice period from 90 to 30 days

“Broadcasters will need greater flexibility in hosting arrangements in order to extend the transition to the remaining (more complicated) markets,” Sinclair noted regarding ATSC 3.0 implementation requirements.

Additional regulatory relief sought
Beyond ownership and ATSC 3.0 changes, Sinclair requested elimination or modification of children’s television programming requirements, arguing that the Commission should “give broadcasters discretion to serve the E/I needs of their audience in the good faith judgment of the licensee rather than force stations to jump through hoops to reschedule preempted E/I programs.”

On public file requirements, Sinclair stated: “Given the lack of public demand or need for these documents, many public file obligations serve only as enforcement action fodder at license renewal time if anything is missing or late. Because paperwork shouldn’t exist for its own sake, Sinclair respectfully requests that the Commission delete Section 73.3526 in its entirety.”

The company’s EVP and Chief Legal Officer David Gibber, along with external counsel, signed the comments stating that current regulations threaten “the future viability of many stations and local news” by “obstructing TV broadcasters’ ability to operate and compete at scale.”

Competition from tech giants
Sinclair highlighted the disparity in market power, noting that “analysts estimate that if YouTube were a standalone business, it would be worth $475 billion to $550 billion – far more than the entire local broadcast industry combined.”

The filing also pointed out that “Google’s, Meta’s, and Amazon’s annual U.S. advertising revenues each exceed the ad revenues of the entire local broadcast industry combined, and the combined share of global advertising revenues of these 3 companies hit 51% in 2024.” NewscastStudio

The Fiber Broadband Association recently reported that RVA LLC anticipates that optical fiber will become the major Internet delivery method to homes in the US by 2030. The report estimates that the United States will spend an all-time high of $167 billion on FTTH over the next five years.

Michael Render, principal of RVA and primary analyst of this report, said “Fiber-to-the-home was once only the dream of a few – but has now become a perceived necessary reality to many. Consumer demand for the advantages of optical fiber is unprecedented and the industry is responding. The annual rate of homes-passed and connected are all projected to be at historical record levels, although there are expected impacts from constraints such as permitting time and workforce availability.”

Per RVA’s consumer market research done for the Fiber Broadband Association, the market supports end-to-end fiber over any other Internet delivery method. “According to the latest consumer study, a total of 65% of all consumers now say they would prefer fiber if they had a choice, versus 18% Coax, and 17% for all other methods (wireless, DSL, or satellite). Because of this clear and growing preference, overall average FTTH take-rates will likely continue to increase, even as FTTH homes-passed continues to grow.”

On top of this, the diversity of providers is growing to include telecom companies, cable MSOs, municipalities, rural electric cooperatives, and more. While Tier-1 phone companies continue to be the largest segment in this five-year deployment span, it is projected that their portion of FTTH homes-passed annually will keep falling from their high of 93% in 2006 to an anticipated 43% by 2029.

RVA’s new 2025 report uses surveys and interviews with hundreds of industry experts, network operators, and vendors, and also uses reviews of public and FCC data, as well as surveys of thousands of online consumers who use all variations of broadband. This report “North American Fiber Broadband Report: FTTH Review And Forecast 2025 – 2029” also answers key questions such as, “What is the forecast for BEAD?”, “What is the forecast for the top 20 providers?”, “What are the drivers for this huge overall forecast?”, “Where are the best remaining demographic segments for growth?” and much more. Cabling Installation

Consumers have subscribed to multiple streaming platforms, but often struggle to keep track of new releases, missing several shows that they may be interested in. In this backdrop, cross-platform recommendation engines are set to gain in popularity, as consumers demand a better search experience to find content across OTT apps.

On average, consumers juggle three to four paid streaming subscriptions, and nearly 50% express frustration with finding content across these services, as per Deloitte’s Digital Media Trends Survey. Globally, several types of cross-platform recommendation engines are gaining traction. These platforms, like Reelgood and JustWatch, aggregate content from numerous streaming services and build recommendation algorithms that work across a unified catalogue.

New premium real estate in streaming
In fact, the common user interface will be the new premium real estate on digital platforms, particularly on connected TVs (CTVs or internet-enabled TV), and could drive carriage and placement revenues in the medium term as platforms struggle for profitability, according to the latest Ficci EY report.

This would require a strategy that goes beyond bundling, or offering multiple apps together for a discounted price. Entertainment industry experts say cross-platform recommendation engines that are emerging as a fix, track user behaviour across multiple services, offering unified recommendations. Big tech companies are leading the charge, leveraging their data ecosystems to power multi-platform insights. Independent data intelligence companies are also playing a pivotal role, offering APIs (application programming interfaces) and metadata solutions that connect disparate platforms. These engines bridge the gap between siloed platforms, helping users navigate the fragmented OTT space.

Challenges in content discovery
“With over 40 OTT platforms catering to diverse linguistic and regional audiences, users often struggle to find content that aligns with their tastes. That’s where aggregators come in, they act as one-stop content discovery hubs, reducing the friction of app-hopping by offering a unified recommendation layer. Beyond aggregators, telecom giants and connected TV are integrating AI-powered recommendation engines at the device level, influencing user behaviour by suggesting content even before users open an app. This makes the entire experience feel more intuitive and seamless,” said Saurabh Srivastava, chief operating officer, digital business, Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd.

OTT platforms today face a discovery overload, thanks to too much content, but limited ways to discover what’s relevant, said Russhabh R. Thakkar, founder and CEO, Frodoh, an ad tech company. Algorithms often prioritize trending content over personalized recommendations, leaving smaller titles buried. This problem has grown bigger, as platforms rapidly expand libraries without parallel innovation in discovery tech.

Future of OTT discovery, personalization
Kavita Shenoy, CEO, Voiro, an ad operations and revenue analytics platform, pointed out that while some series release content in tranches, today, the audience either waits for a season to drop completely or watches it asynchronously and not at an appointed time, making it difficult for recommendation engines to understand viewership and content consumption behaviour.

Additionally, the rise of addictive short-form video content has significantly altered user attention spans. Streaming TV has normalised behaviours like skipping and skimming content and fragmented viewing, further complicating the task of recommendation algorithms, she emphasized.

“With smart TVs aggregating content from different apps, recommendation engines can now pull data from multiple sources to create a seamless viewing experience. This aggregated interface becomes the perfect canvas for cross-platform recommendation engines to thrive. Additionally, the rise of family co-viewing on CTVs means recommendations must now cater to group preferences, pushing platforms to rethink their algorithms. CTV also opens up deeper personalization possibilities through richer data—such as time-of-day usage patterns, viewing durations, and real-time context,” Thakkar said.

To be sure, the future of OTT discovery lies in smarter, more seamless solutions that prioritize viewer experience over platform boundaries, according to entertainment industry experts.

Smarter search, seamless discovery
Phanimohan Kalagara, chief technology officer, Gracenote, the content data business unit of Nielsen, said that a key step forward is the development of universal content registries that index availability across services, paired with standardized metadata frameworks to create a more cohesive and intuitive search experience. “Voice-powered search, enhanced with natural language understanding, will further reduce friction—allowing users to make contextual queries like ‘show me something funny’ or ‘find action movies with female leads’.”

Beyond traditional genres, mood and theme-based discovery will align recommendations with viewers’ emotions and preferences, making content discovery more intuitive, Kalagara said. Personalized content feeds, aggregated across multiple platforms through unified viewer profiles, will streamline recommendations, ensuring users spend less time searching and more time watching, he added.

Avinash Mudaliar, CEO, OTTPlay, the recommendation and content discovery platform for streaming services launched by HT Media Labs (part of the same organization as Mint) said OTTPlay provides a unified platform where users can see movies and shows available across their various subscriptions in one place. It operates on an AI-based recommendation engine which captures its users’ watch patterns, likes, dislikes and clubs it to deliver a personalised recommendation engine.

“In today’s fiercely-competitive OTT landscape, while content remains paramount, it is the viewers who ultimately determine its success. Viewers expect services that understand their consumption habits, including time spent, preferred viewing times, language preferences, and content choices such as genres and favourite actors,” said Devyani Ozarde, managing director and lead – media and entertainment, Accenture in India. “With AI-powered advancements, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) can now offer superior cross-platform content discovery, catering to users who often subscribe to multiple providers. Connected TV OEMs are at the forefront with data and AI-powered recommendations and voice-based search, significantly reducing search time.” LiveMint

Elon Musk announced on Sunday that his Starlink satellite internet service had been granted a license in Somalia.

Starlink’s network of low Earth orbit satellites can provide internet to remote locations or areas that have had normal communications infrastructure disabled.

Roughly 30 percent of Somalia’s population has access to the internet, according to the World Bank in 2022, but regular connectivity is frequently stymied by the east African country’s poor infrastructure.

“Starlink now in Somalia!” Musk said in a post on X, without giving any further details.

“Today is another historic day for Somalia’s communications and technology sectors, today we have issued here and provided Starlink, one of the major satellite telecommunications and internet services company the license to operate in Somalia,” a post on state media outlet SONNA said.

It added that the license had been issued after two years of discussions.

The massive connectivity gap between the world’s wealthier countries and those less advantaged is particularly acute on the African continent. AFP