Hathway Broadband, which is one of the leading Internet Service Providers (ISP) in the country, is offering maximum speeds of 300 Mbps. The ISP is currently offering services in 20 cities including popular ones like Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai and so on. In Chennai, Hathway has a broadband plan of 300 Mbps priced at Rs 9,999 for six months and Rs 14,999 for 12 months. Besides Chennai, Hathway is offering up to speeds of 200 Mbps in other cities. In Hyderabad, Hathway is one of the cheapest broadband operator offering speeds of up to 125 Mbps. The 125 Mbps plan from Hathway is available at an effective price of Rs 399 per month (excluding taxes). Already, Hathway is currently providing the cheapest 100 Mbps plan in Hyderabad at Rs 599 per month, so the 75 Mbps plan’s price does not come as a surprise.

Hathway Broadband 75 Mbps Plan Now Costs Less Than Rs 400

Hathway is a budget broadband service provider across all the 20 areas where it’s operating right now. Talking about the company’s broadband plans in Hyderabad, it’s offering speeds up to 125 Mbps. The ISP has a total of six broadband plans in the city offering speeds of 25 Mbps, 50 Mbps, 75 Mbps, 80 Mbps, 100 Mbps and 125 Mbps. All these broadband plans can be availed in three subscriptions- one month, six months and 12 months.

The base Hathway Super broadband plan offering 25 Mbps comes at a price of just Rs 399 per month. If a subscriber chooses the plan for six months at one go, it comes for an effective price of Rs 349 per month. Do make a note that the prices mentioned above are exclusive of taxes, so additional 18% taxes would be applicable.

The Hathway Lightening broadband plan comes with 75 Mbps speeds and costs Rs 449 per month. For six months, Hathway is charging Rs 2,649, and for 12 months, it costs Rs 4,788. For 12 months, the 75 Mbps broadband plan from Hathway costs just Rs 399 per month.

Moving onto the 100 Mbps broadband plan, it is available at Rs 599 per month, and for six months, the cost would come down to Rs 549 per month. If a subscriber chooses the 100 Mbps plan for 12 months, then the effective cost per month will be just Rs 499. Hathway is also aggressively offering new connections to the users in various regions of Hyderabad by setting up local connection centres in public places.

Hathway Broadband will charge installation charges as a one-month rental if a customer chooses the service on a monthly basis. However, for the users choosing long-term plans, there will be no installation charges from the company. All the Hathway Broadband plans in Hyderabad offer unlimited data without any FUP limit.

Hathway Broadband Offering Up to 300 Mbps Speeds in Chennai

In other news, Hathway Broadband is yet to launch 1 Gbps broadband plans in the country. After the Reliance JioFiber launch in India, various broadband operators like Airtel Xstream Fibre, MTNL and other local operators have introduced 1 Gbps plans in India. But Hathway is yet to launch 1 Gbps plans in any of the city it’s operating. The maximum speeds offered by Hathway right now is 300 Mbps and that too only in one city- Chennai.

As mentioned above, Hathway’s 300 Mbps broadband plan can be availed only in long-term options right now. For six months, the 300 Mbps plan costs Rs 9,999 in Chennai, and for 12 months, the charges at Rs 14,999. Hathway is also providing free mesh Wi-Fi router equipment to the users who choose its 300 Mbps high-speed broadband plan.

If there is one operator in the industry right now, which is setting the benchmark for consumer-centric moves, it is the state-led telecom operator, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL). While all the other telecom operators are busy hiking their tariffs and increasing their earnings, BSNL has a focus on retaining its customers, and as such, it is giving away tons of benefits to its subscribers. The telecom operator also happens to be the largest broadband service provider in the country. This means that the broadband customers of BSNL are also in line for getting more and more benefits, and that is certainly true. We have already heard about how BSNL is shipping the 6 paise per five-minute benefit to its broadband subscribers and giving them cashback on making calls through the landline. But, the long-term subscribers of BSNL broadband plans will also get many benefits like free service days. BSNL subscribers who pay in advance for their annual connection or higher subscription period will get to enjoy free service months from BSNL. Read ahead to know more about this offer.

BSNL Broadband Long Term Subscription Benefits

Under this offer, BSNL is giving up to 4 months of rental waiver to its customers. However, how much rental waiver you get will depend on how long your subscription period is. For example, BSNL has noted that the subscribers who pay in advance for 12 months of their broadband, DSL, BharatFibre, BBoWi-Fi Broadband plan or landline plan will get one extra month of service. This means that by paying for 12 months of service, they will be getting 13 months of service.

There is another longer subscription option for the BSNL broadband and landline subscribers which is of 24 months. If the subscribers opt for a two year, or 24 months of subscription from BSNL, they will be getting 3 months of extra service. This means that on paying for 24 months, the subscribers will get 27 months of service for free.

Lastly, the BSNL subscribers will also have the extra 4 months of service option as well. In this option, the subscribers will have to opt for BSNL landline or broadband service for three years or 36 months. On getting a 36-month subscription for BSNL services, the BSNL customer will be able to enjoy 4 months extra, or a total of 40 months of service.

How to Avail Free Service Months from BSNL

If you want to avail this offer from BSNL, then firstly you will have to avail it from the official BSNL website by clicking on the banner, or by calling a toll free number which is 18003451500. BSNL subscribers can also avail this offer by going to their nearest customer service centre.

BSNL Other Benefits and Broadband Plans

This is one of the ways that BSNL subscribers would be able to reap the benefits of a BSNL broadband plan. There are other benefits as well which BSNL broadband and landline subscribers enjoy and one the notable one is the cashback offer on landline calls. This offer gives 6 paise cashback to the customers for every five minutes of calling from BSNL landline. This way, the subscribers can get a total of Rs 50 cashback on their bills. BSNL broadband plans high as Rs 16,000. These plans offer anywhere from 10 Mbps to 100 Mbps and come in daily data or monthly FUP option, thus giving an ample choice to the subscribers.

Apart from Reliance Jio in the Indian telecom market, the only operator to add new subscribers over the last three years was state-run BSNL. Thanks to the aggressive approach, Reliance Jio added more than five million new users every month since its launch, which made it the leading telecom operator in just 3.5 years. Coming back to BSNL, it has been adding at least one lakh new users every month over the last three years, despite lacking 4G services. The reason behind this could be the affordable tariff plans and cheaper mobile tariffs available on the network. But the telecom operator is constantly losing wired broadband users every month due to increasing competition in the segment. BSNL’s wired broadband subscriber base used to be over 10 million, but as per the latest Trai subscription data, the subscriber base has been reduced to 8.51 million.

BSNL Adding Telecom Subscribers Every Month Regularly

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) recently released monthly subscription data for the month of November 2019. In the month, Trai reported 341,722 new users have been added by BSNL, which took its overall telecom market share to 10.19%. The total number of telecom subscriber base at the end of November 30, 2019, stood at 1154.39 million, out of which BSNL has 10.19% of market share. This essentially means the telco has an overall subscriber base of 117.6 million. In the month of December 2019, BSNL could have crossed 120 million user base due to the increase in prepaid tariffs by private telcos.

During the same month, Reliance Jio added 5.6 million new users, followed by Bharti Airtel with 1.6 million new subscribers. Vodafone Idea lost a whopping 36.4 million users, which drastically reduced the telco’ subscriber base and overall telecom subscriber base.

BSNL adding new subscribers every month will surely come as a surprise considering the telco has no 4G services on offer right now. BSNL’ subscriber base started to see a major increase after the introduction of minimum recharge scheme from Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea. Even after the latest tariff revision, Reliance Jio has the upper hand in the data tariffs segment, but the telco’s limitation of off-net voice calls is not inspiring confidence. As a result, Jio customers are moving to either BSNL or Bharti Airtel network.

Alongside the affordable 3G mobile tariffs, BSNL also runs limited period offers, extra data offer and so on every now and then to keep the users attracted.

BSNL Wired Broadband User Base Dips

In the wireless segment, BSNL is adding new users every month, but what about the wireline segment where the ISP has been an undisputed leader for more than ten years now? Well, BSNL is losing the charm in the wired broadband segment thanks to the intense competition in the segment. In November 2019, BSNL lost 1.64 lakh broadband subscribers which brought down its overall wired broadband subscriber base to 8.51 million. The number used to hover around 12 million, but the competition in the broadband sector has intensified over the last two-three years with private ISPs offering up to 1 Gbps speeds in various parts of the country.

BSNL is still the leading wired broadband operator in India with a market share of 46.21%, followed by Bharti Airtel with 20.24%. MTNL is third on the list with 14.78% share. The lukewarm JioFiber plans aren’t helping the service provider as expected as it managed to have just 4.81% market share at the end of November 2019.

Reliance Jio launched its JioFiber Fibre to the Home service in India last year. The launch of this service was a much-awaited one. Now to increase the attractiveness of its offering, Reliance Jio did not merely come up with a fibre connection and a data offering. Combined with this, Reliance Jio also started shipping more things with a JioFiber connection. There is obviously the very popular Jio Set-Top Box which the users of JioFiber get as part of the Welcome Offer from Reliance Jio. Using this Set-Top Box, the subscribers can watch DTH and OTT content both since it is a Hybrid Set-Top Box. However, apart from this, Reliance Jio teased another offering which had the users’ attention since the very beginning. The feature that we are talking about is the calling feature of the JioFiber connection. On the JioFiber connection, the subscribers will be able to make free unlimited, video and voice calls to other users. The calls which will be made from the JioFiber connection can both be from a landline and a smartphone, and they would fall under the JioFixedVoice functionality. How to make all of this happen? Follow our lead and read ahead.

JioFiber Calling Uses VoIP

The first thing to note here is that all the calls that you make through the JioFiber connection will be VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) calls. This means that the calls will be carried over the Wi-Fi or the LAN network and the technology which will be used will be identical to the one which is used in the VoWi-Fi calling technology.

JioFixedVoice Calls Over JioFiber Via Landline

The first way that users can make calls through JioFiber or by JioFixedVoice is by actually using a landline phone. For this, you will first have to get a landline handset. The subscribers should note that Reliance Jio is not going to provide a landline handset to the subscribers, and you will have to buy it separately. When you do this, you will be able to connect the landline to the RJ11 port given on the back of your Reliance JioFiber Hub or the Home Gateway. This is the router which Reliance Jio provides with every JioFiber connection. On plugging your phone to this port, you will be able to make calls from your JioFiber number.

JioFiber Calls Through Smartphones

Another method by which you can make calls through your JioFiber connection is through your smartphone. The calls by this method are made using similar technology which you would make through if you were to make calls using JioFi. Firstly, you will have to download the JioCall app, which was previously known as the Jio 4G Voice app. After you download this application, you will have to log in using the third option which asks you to login using your JioFiber connection. For this, you will have to be in the Wi-Fi zone and connected to the particular JioFiber connection. When you are logged in, you will be able to make calls from this JioFiber number using the JioCall app. The number that is displayed to the recipients will be the same number which has been allocated to your JioFiber connection. Further, when you are making calls, you will also notice that there is a video call option as well, meaning that the users will also be able to make video calls using this application.

If there is one industry which was filled with multiple changes, launches and offers last year, then it was the wired broadband industry in India. In the run-up to the launch of Reliance Jio’s FTTH service, all the other broadband service providers also geared up and launched their own attractive offerings for the public. As a result, now we have an industry full of flourishing new plans and the consumers have a lot of options to choose from. While there are some popular names out there like Bharti Airtel, ACT Fibernet and of course, JioFiber, there are also other entities like BSNL Broadband and Tata Sky broadband which a lot of the people might be forgetting about. BSNL broadband happens to be the largest broadband service provider in India with the most massive network, whereas Tata Sky broadband is a new entrant in the industry with operations in select cities. However, Tata Sky broadband is shipping plans up to 100 Mbps speed and has recently revised its broadband portfolio. BSNL broadband is also offering plans with speeds up to 100 Mbps. But, there are some differences between these two broadband operators which you must know. Read ahead to find out about them.

Unlimited Data Option Only Available With Tata Sky Broadband

The prime difference between BSNL broadband plans and Tata Sky broadband plans is the unlimited data tag. Out of these two operators, although BSNL has data plans which will make sure that you will not run out of data, but still the operator does not have truly unlimited plans for its subscribers. On the other hand, with Tata Sky broadband, you will get multiple speed options even in the unlimited plans section. This is what sets these two operators apart. Let us compare the various price ranges of Tata Sky broadband plan and BSNL broadband.

Tata Sky and BSNL Broadband 100 Mbps Plans

When it comes to 100 Mbps broadband plans by Tata Sky broadband, under the unlimited data tag, subscribers will be able to get an unlimited data broadband plan for Rs 1,100 per month. However, the 100 Mbps broadband plans under BSNL broadband or BharatFibre category only start at Rs 1,277 per month. Under this plan, the subscribers would be able to enjoy speeds of up to 100 Mbps, and the data offering would be 750GB per month. The speed would be throttled down to 2 Mbps after FUP usage. There would also be unlimited calling benefit which is not present in Tata Sky broadband plans.

Tata Sky broadband also ships plans with fixed data as well. Under these fixed GB plans, if the subscribers want to have a 100 Mbps plan, then they could go for the Rs 900 plan. This plan ships 250GB of data per month and 100 Mbps speed to the subscribers. For Rs 100, the subscribers also get the Rs 1,000 broadband plan which is offering 500GB data per month with the same 100 Mbps speed.

BSNL Broadband Plans Offer Daily Data FUP

The advantage of a BSNL broadband connection, however, is that you will get free calling benefits as well, meaning that subscribers can make unlimited calls. Also, when it comes to other plan options, BSNL broadband subscribers have various options like in the lower rungs, the subscribers can also opt for the 50 Mbps speed plan for Rs 749 plan which offers 300GB data per month. BSNL Broadband is also the only broadband service provider which offers daily data plans. For the subscribers, who can make do with daily FUP, the BSNL broadband plans might prove to be more affordable.

After the arrival of JioFiber and its 1 Gbps broadband plans, almost every Internet Service Provider (ISP) in the country is aiming to bring gigabit speeds to their subscribers. JioFiber was soon followed by Airtel Xstream Fibre and other local ISPs like Netplus Broadband. With a strong presence in North India, Netplus Broadband is one of the major ISPs in the country and it’s providing some impressive broadband plans in the cities where it is operating right now. A few days ago, we reported the launch of Netplus Broadband’s IPTV STB which is India’s first full-fledged IPTV offering. Netplus Broadband has a 1 Gbps broadband plan priced at Rs 8,499 which is its high-end offering and it ships with a whopping 10TB data limit per month. Notably, Netplus is offering exactly similar broadband plans as JioFiber, but with double the FUP limit.

Netplus Broadband Plans Start at Rs 699: Benefits Detailed

Netplus Broadband is currently offering Double Data plans to the customers starting at Rs 699. The company right now has six broadband plans- Rs 699, Rs 849, Rs 1,299, Rs 2,499, Rs 3,999 and Rs 8,499, with base speeds of 100 Mbps and max speeds of 1 Gbps. The base Rs 699 Netplus Broadband plan offers 100 Mbps speeds and 300GB of FUP limit every month. Next up, we have the Rs 849 broadband plan which also offers 100 Mbps speeds, but the FUP limit is 800GB. Both the Rs 699 and Rs 849 broadband plans ship with after FUP speeds of 10 Mbps.

Between Rs 1,000 and Rs 3,000, Netplus has two broadband plans priced at Rs 1,299 and Rs 2,499, offering speeds of 250 Mbps and 500 Mbps, respectively. The FUP limit on these plans is 1500GB and 3000GB respectively. As for the after FUP speeds, the Rs 1,299 broadband plan offers 25 Mbps speeds and the Rs 2,499 plan allows users to browse the web at 50 Mbps even after the completion of monthly FUP limit.

Then we have the 1 Gbps broadband plans from Netplus which are priced at Rs 3,999 and Rs 8,499. The FUP limit on these plans is 5TB and 10TB, respectively, and the after FUP speeds are 100 Mbps. Notably, Netplus Broadband is offering these broadband plans in Punjab right now.

As you can see, the prices of these Netplus Broadband plans are exactly similar to the JioFiber plans. But Netplus’ broadband plans are way better when it comes to after FUP speeds and monthly FUP limit. The Rs 8,499 broadband plan from JioFiber comes with 1 Gbps speeds and 5TB of FUP limit, whereas Netplus is providing 10TB of FUP every month at the same price.

Netplus Broadband Also Has Truly Unlimited Data Plans

In addition to the Double Data plans mentioned above, Netplus Broadband is also providing unlimited data plans to the customers. The Truly Unlimited Data plans from Netplus start at Rs 599 and they go all the way up to Rs 1,500. The base Rs 599 broadband plan offers 50 Mbps speeds without any FUP limit, followed by the Rs 799 plan with 75 Mbps speeds.

The Rs 999 and Rs 1,299 broadband plans come with 100 Mbps and 150 Mbps speeds and there’s no monthly FUP limit. Lastly, we have the premium Rs 1,599 broadband plan which allows users to browse at 200 Mbps speeds without any data limit. All the prices mentioned above are exclusive of taxes, so an additional 18% GST will be added to the overall price mentioned above.

Netplus Truly Unlimited Broadband plans seem like a better option to the customers right now compared to the Double Data plans which are launched to take on the JioFiber broadband plans.

When we look at the JioFiber and the Airtel Broadband portfolio, one thing becomes clear to us – both of these operators are not fighting for the same customers. While Bharti Airtel’s broadband plans start at Rs 799, JioFiber’s plans begin at the monthly rental of Rs 699. The offerings which these operators provide at these price points also differs. Not only this, but the additional offerings which these telcos throw in the plans also are different. So, is there any price point where both Bharti Airtel and JioFiber hit the same spot? Yes, there is, and it is the only one. While JioFiber has a higher plan which goes beyond the Rs 3,999 price point. This plan is the one which ends the Bharti Airtel portfolio. So, this begs the question, how do the various plans in the different price ranges compare for JioFiber and Airtel Broadband, and if it is even worth comparing them at all.

Broadband Plans Below Rs 1,000

First, let’s look at the price range of Rs 1,000 or lower. In this price bracket, Bharti Airtel has two broadband plans which include the Rs 799 broadband plan and the Rs 999 broadband plan. Even Reliance Jio has two broadband plans in this price bracket, but they differ in pricing. The first plan is the Rs 699 broadband plan, and the next is the Rs 849 broadband plan.

The Bharti Airtel Rs 799 broadband plan actually ships what the JioFiber Bronze plan ships for Rs 699. The subscribers of these plans get 150GB data in total with up to 100 Mbps of speed. While in the case of Airtel Xstream Fibre, you get access to Airtel Xstream app, in case of Reliance Jio, you get access to JioCinema and JioSaavn application. The Rs 849 broadband plan, simply ships more data with the same 100 Mbps speed.

Broadband Plans Below Rs 3,999

Under this price tag, JioFiber has two broadband plans which include Rs 1,299 and Rs 2,499 plans. These two JioFiber plans offer 250 Mbps and 500 Mbps speeds respectively. It is worth noting that these speed options are not even available in the Airtel Broadband portfolio. In the case of Airtel, the subscribers just have the Rs 999 broadband plan offering up to 200 Mbps speed and 300GB data and a Rs 1,499 plan with up to 300 Mbps speed and 500GB data. There is no option of 500 Mbps speed for Airtel Broadband customers.

However, there is one unique thing which the Airtel subscribers enjoy, and that is the unlimited data option. For Rs 299 per month, the Airtel broadband subscribers can extend their data limit to get unlimited data on their plan. For example, combined with the Rs 799 broadband plan, the subscribers can get unlimited data with 100 Mbps speed.

Rs 3,999 Broadband Plan

The difference between the plans fades away with the Rs 3,999 broadband plan, wherein both operators offer the 1 Gbps speed. While the JioFiber connection offers 2,500GB of data to the customers, the Bharti Airtel broadband customers get 3,300GB of data per month. While Airtel Broadband customers get access to applications like Amazon Prime Video and Airtel Xstream, JioFiber customers get SonyLIV, Hotstar, ZEE5, SunNXT and more. JioFiber also offers a Rs 8,499 broadband plans to the subscribers in which it ships 5,000GB data for the same 1 Gbps speed.

The broadband plans in India have become more attractive over time for the subscribers. The more competition after the coming of JioFiber has increased the number of options available to the subscribers in the case of wired connections. A lot of these broadband service providers opt for bundled OTT apps in their plans to increase the attractiveness of their plans. For a very long time, Bharti Airtel was the one operator which was shipping Netflix subscription with its plans, but that is no longer the case. However, ACT Fibernet being one of the major broadband service providers in the country is offering a little discount to the subscribers on a Netflix subscription if they have got the right broadband plans from ACT Fibernet. ACT Fibernet is one of the largest broadband service providers which ranks almost there up with the top leagues. The service provider also has been able to deliver consistently good speeds, and quality to its customers and its plans range from 40 Mbps speed to as high as 1 Gbps. Here are some of the plans you should consider.

ACT Fibernet Plan Details

Here, we are going to be taking a look at the plans which are shipping ample speed to the subscribers, and bundle Netflix subscription discount with them. We are going to be listing the plans available in Bengaluru for the ACT Fibernet customers. Amongst all the broadband plans available to the subscribers, the first one is the ACT Blaze. This plan offers 100 Mbps speed to the subscribers and 450GB data in a month. The subscribers also get to enjoy 1500GB data if they subscribe for 6 months of 12 months of subscription. The monthly rental of this plan is Rs 1,059, and the subscribers get Rs 50 off on their monthly Netflix connection with this plan.

There is also the ACT Storm plan offering 150 Mbps speed with 650GB monthly data and 1500GB extra data on six-monthly and annual subscription. The rental of this broadband plan by ACT Fibernet is Rs 1,159, and this plan will also offer you Rs 50 off on your Netflix subscription every month.

ACT Lightning and Incredible Plan Details

The next set of plans offer higher discount on your monthly Netflix subscription. First of these is the ACT Lightning plan which offers 200 Mbps of speed an 800GB data per month. The rental of this broadband plan is Rs 1,399 per month. The Netflix cashback in this plan is Rs 100. Secondly, there is the ACT Incredible plan which offers 250 Mbps speed and 1000GB data per month. The rental of this broadband plan by ACT Fibernet is Rs 1,999. This plan offers a saving of Rs 150 on the Netflix subscription. The extra data offering of 1500GB remains the same as other plans mentioned above.

Highest Netflix Savings in ACT GIGA Plan

Lastly, the plan which is going to give you the most savings on the Netflix subscription is the ACT Giga plan of Rs 5,999. In this plan you will get a Rs 500 cashback on your Netflix subscription, and you will get to enjoy 1 Gbps speed with 3500GB data. If the subscribers want to experience the benefits of these broadband plans, first they would have to subscribe to these plans from ACT Fibernet and then they would be required to visit the official website of ACT Fibernet go to the section of the plans page where Netflix plans are listed out. From here, the subscribers will have to register for their Netflix account.

Airtel Xstream Fibre or better known as Airtel Broadband, has been long known as the bearer of good extra benefit when it comes to broadband plans. While the other broadband plans in the industry came with simple data and calling benefit, Airtel packaged a very attractive offering for the broadband subscribers and started selling it. Previously, the Bharti Airtel broadband portfolio was offering benefits like Amazon Prime Video for an entire year, Airtel Xstream Subscription, free unlimited calling and one of the best benefits, three free months of Netflix subscription. But, with a new change that has come across all Bharti Airtel plans, regardless of they are broadband or postpaid, the Netflix benefit has been taken away from the subscribers. However, it is worth noting that the Bharti Airtel broadband plans still come with Amazon Prime subscription for an entire year worth Rs 999.

Netflix Benefit Goes Away from Postpaid Plans Too

The call to take down the Netflix benefit came a few weeks back when the postpaid plans were also sapped out with this benefit. It marked the ending of the partnership between Bharti Airtel and Netflix. For almost more than a year, Bharti Airtel was the sole broadband service provider in the country which was offering free three months Netflix benefit to its subscribers, but that is no longer the case. However, the subscribers who had taken the subscription at the right time still continue to enjoy it.

ACT Fibernet Giving Cashback on Netflix Subscription

Now the question remains, is there any broadband plan or postpaid plan which is offering bundled Netflix benefit to the subscribers. Well, the short answer would be yes. There are two avenues that the subscribers of Netflix can explore if they are on the lookout for a benefit like this. Firstly, would be the ACT Fibernet portfolio. Now the thing to note here is that although ACT Fibernet is not giving away free Netflix subscription to its customers, it is offering a certain cashback to the subscribers which they can use against their Netflix bill. To utilise this, the subscribers will have to pay for their Netflix subscription using ACT’s monthly bill, and they could a get a minimum cashback of at least Rs 50. For higher plans like the ACT GIGA plan, the subscribers can get even more cashback like Rs 500 per month to save more on their Netflix connection. But, even this benefit does not come close to the benefit of what Bharti Airtel was offering on its broadband plans.

Vodafone REDX Plan Netflix Benefit

There is one plan which actually competes with Bharti Airtel’s Netflix offering in the market, but sadly, it is not a broadband plan that the consumers can have. The plan that we are talking about here is the Vodafone REDX plan. The great thing about the Vodafone REDX plan is that when it comes to Netflix offering, the Vodafone REDX plan actually beats the Bharti Airtel broadband plan. While the Bharti Airtel broadband plans used to offer only three months of Netflix subscription, the Vodafone REDX plan offers one full year of Netflix subscription.

The Vodafone REDX plan also happens to be one of the unique postpaid plans in the industry right now with 150GB of data limit per month, and with Vodafone promising 50% more speed than its users of the general postpaid and prepaid plans. Vodafone REDX plan brings some unique benefits to the users as well like access to airport lounges and discounts on hotels.

Reliance Jio started offering free Jio Set-Top Box to its existing users as well as new customers of its JioFiber broadband service, following the launch of tariff plans. The Jio STB is an Android-based media streaming player and comes with a Bluetooth based remote control, and HDMI and Ethernet connection ports. JioFiber STB comes with preinstalled streaming apps such as JioTV+, HotStar, Voot, ZEE5 and SunNXT to stream Live TV channels. Similar to Airtel Xstream, Dish SMRT Hub and Tata Sky Binge+, Jio 4K Set-Top Box allows users to watch both Cable TV and OTT content without any hassle. Users have since complained about the limited number of options available on Jio STB. The JioTV+, however, seems to offer much more than initially revealed.

The JioTV+ from Reliance is a content aggregator delivering live TV channels, TV shows and movies and much more from various apps and services.

JioTV+ is Not the JioTV App We Know

While internet service providers Airtel and ACT Fibernet have partnered with OTT content providers to offer bundled broadband plans, Reliance Jio has taken a different approach. Airtel Xstream Fibre plans, for example, Amazon Prime membership and Zee5 premium membership with broadband plans starting at Rs 999.

Reliance JioFiber will allow customers to view the content directly from the STB via the JioTV+ app. It combines content from different apps to give access to varied content from several platforms. The JioTV+ application is similar to PatchWall UI on Xiaomi Smart TVs or Oxygen Play on the OnePlus TV Q1 series

Hotstar, ZEE5 and Other Platforms Offer Live TV Channels

The JioTV+ combines content from Hotstar, VOOT, ZEE5, SonyLIV and SunNXT apps. The Hotstar channels on the app include: Star Utsav, Star Gold, Star Plus, Star Sports HD, Fox News, Sky News, ABP News, Aaj Tak HD, India Today among others. The JioTV+ exclusive VOOT channels include Comedy Central HD, History TV 18HD, Nick HD+, Colors HD, M TV HD Plus, MTV Beats HD, Colors Rishtey, CNBC TV18 Prime HD, CNBC TV18 SD and CNBC Awaaz (Hindi) (Full Screen). There is an exclusive Jio Bollywood Premium HD for latest Indian cinema movies.

And the ZEE5, SunNXT and SonyLIV apps also offer Live TV channels to the users, as we have seen it on our Jio 4K Set-Top Box. Our Jio STB is running on Android TV 7.0 platform which is dated right now, but the company is expected to roll out Android TV 9 Pie update very soon to the existing users.

Reliance also plans to announce new partnerships with OTT content service providers in the near future.

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has introduced a new Bharat Fibre plan of Rs 2,999 in select circles. In Chennai and Tamil Nadu telecom circles, BSNL is now offering the Rs 2,999 FTTH broadband plan under Bharat Fibre branding. Benefits of the new Bharat Fibre plan include 2000GB or 2TB data limit per month, 100 Mbps speeds, unlimited voice calling to any network within India and Amazon Prime subscription worth Rs 999 at no extra cost. Pan-India wise, BSNL has seven Bharat Fibre plans which are valid across all the circles where the company is offering Bharat Fibre service. Alongside the pan-India plans, BSNL is also providing some circle-specific Bharat Fibre plans like Rs 1,999 and Rs 2,999. The best part of the circle-specific plans is they don’t come with any daily FUP limit like the pan-India Bharat Fibre plans.

BSNL Rs 2,999 Bharat Fibre Plan: Benefits Detailed

BSNL is not going after the private Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in terms of speeds offered, instead, the company is focusing on delivering Bharat Fibre service even to rural locations. Reliance JioFiber was looking to steal the thunder from BSNL in the broadband department with JioFiber plans, but the ISP’ sub-par broadband plans made BSNL the ultimate winner.

Comparison to BSNL’s Rs 2,999 Bharat Fibre plan, JioFiber has a Rs 2,499 plan which ships with 1500GB data for new users and 500 Mbps speeds. For existing users after six months, the data benefit of Rs 2,499 JioFiber Diamond plan would be 1250GB.

Talking about the BSNL Rs 2,999 Bharat Fibre broadband plan available in Chennai & Tamil Nadu circles, it offers a user 100 Mbps speeds up to 2000GB or 2TB after which the speeds will be reduced to 2 Mbps. There’s no FUP limit once you exhaust the 2000GB allotted data. Users will also get to make unlimited voice calls to any network within India via BSNL landline service. Additionally, the plan also offers Amazon Prime subscription worth Rs 999 to new users. The price of the plan mentioned above is excluding taxes and it is also known as ‘FIBRO COMBO ULD 2999 CS47’ in the circles.

BSNL Pan-India Bharat Fibre Plans Detailed

As mentioned above, BSNL has some circle-specific Bharat Fibre plans, but pan-India wise, the PSU has seven Bharat Fibre plans starting at just Rs 849. The basic two Bharat Fibre plans are Rs 849 and Rs 1,277 which ship with 50 Mbps and 100 Mbps speeds, respectively till 600GB and 750GB. Bharat Fibre plans above Rs 1,277 come with 100 Mbps speeds and the only difference is the FUP limit.

The Rs 2,499 plan offers 40GB data per day, Rs 4,499 plan comes with 55GB daily data, followed by the Rs 5,999 Bharat Fibre plan with 80GB data every day. The Rs 9,999 and Rs 16,999 Bharat Fibre plans come with a whopping 120GB and 170GB data per day benefit. All these plans also come with Amazon Prime membership and unlimited voice calling benefit via BSNL landline service at no extra cost.

BSNL is also providing after FUP speeds of 10 Mbps with Bharat Fibre plans. It is kind of sad to see BSNL not launching 1 Gbps broadband plans taking on the likes of Airtel Xstream Fibre, Reliance JioFiber and ACT Fibernet. MTNL launched 1 Gbps broadband plans last year but there’s no update whatsoever from BSNL in this regard.

Krishiinet is one of the local broadband service providers in Chennai city. Besides the popular broadband operators like Airtel Xstream Fibre, Reliance JioFiber and BSNL, there are various local Internet Service Providers (ISPs) across several cities, and Krishiinet is one of them. Krishiinet recently launched Fibre broadband plans and they are called Krishii Fiber plans. Available at a starting price of Rs 400, Krishii Fiber plans offer a minimum of 50 Mbps speeds and the maximum speeds offered by the company is 250 Mbps, priced at Rs 1,500 per month. Krishiinet is providing unlimited data plans starting at Rs 1,000. Albeit the unlimited data plans, Krishiinet also has some FUP plans which compete with another ISP Hathway. Krishiinet’s 50 Mbps broadband plan with 50GB data costs Rs 400.

Krishii Fiber Unlimited Data Broadband Plans Start at Rs 1,000

Before talking about the FUP plans, let’s take a look at the Krishiinet’s unlimited data plans which start at Rs 1,000. Krishiinet is offering four unlimited data plans- Krishii Silver, Krishii Gold, Krishii Platinum and Krishii Hulk. The Krishii Silver plan is priced at Rs 1,000 and it provides 150 Mbps speeds without any FUP limit, followed by the Krishii Gold that ships with 175 Mbps speeds and costs Rs 1,200.

The Krishii Platinum broadband plan with 200 Mbps speeds and unlimited data is priced at Rs 1,300. Lastly, we have the Krishii Hulk broadband plan that offers 250 Mbps speeds at Rs 1,500 per month. Do make a note that the prices mentioned above are excluding the 18% GST.

Krishiinet Prepaid Broadband Plans Come With FUP Limit

There are some other broadband plans from Krishiinet which have a monthly FUP limit. Priced at Rs 400, the Krishii Basic broadband plan comes with 50 Mbps speeds and 1 Mbps after FUP speeds. However, users will have to choose the plan for 12 months upfront so that the effective price becomes Rs 400 per month. Krishiinet is not providing the Basic plan on a monthly rental basis.

Next on the list, we have the Krishii Beginner broadband plan that comes with 75 Mbps speeds and 200GB FUP limit per month. Users will get 4 Mbps after FUP speeds and this plan is available to choose on a monthly basis at Rs 500.

Krishiinet has some Value Packages on offer as well priced at Rs 650, Rs 750 and Rs 890 respectively and offering speeds of 90 Mbps, 100 Mbps and 100 Mbps respectively. The Rs 650 plan comes with 300GB FUP limit, Rs 750 plan has 400GB limit, whereas the Rs 890 plan has 600GB FUP limit & 10 Mbps after FUP speeds.

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has brought a new Rs 499 promotional Bharat Fibre broadband plan across all the circles except Andaman & Nicobar. It’s a basic broadband plan offering just 100GB data and 20 Mbps speeds on a monthly basis. Similar to other Bharat Fibre plans, this newly launched broadband plan also provides 2 Mbps after FUP speeds. The plan also comes with unlimited voice calling benefit via BSNL’s landline service. The plan is already effective across all the circles and it can be availed up to March 31, 2020. The price of the plan is Rs 499, which does not include 18% GST charges. Other BSNL Bharat Fibre broadband plans start at Rs 777 for new users and Rs 849 for new customers. BSNL should’ve offered unlimited data with this new plan to take on local ISPs like Hathway, ACT Fibernet and so on.

BSNL Rs 499 Bharat Fibre Broadband Plan Launched: Check Benefits

With the launch of Rs 499 plan, BSNL is now providing a total of eight broadband plans under its Bharat Fibre branding. Earlier, BSNL Bharat Fibre plans offered a minimum of 50 Mbps speeds, but the Rs 499 plan ships with just 20 Mbps speeds. The plan comes with 100GB data per month after which the speeds will be reduced to 2 Mbps. Thankfully, there’s no limit on how much you can consume after 100GB.

BSNL has set a minimum hire period of one month for this Rs 499 Bharat Fibre plan and there will be some security deposit as well which will be detailed at the time of availing the connection. Lastly, users get unlimited voice calling facility via the company’s landline service, which is an added advantage of choosing Bharat Fibre plans.

BSNL did not confirm whether the broadband plan comes with Amazon Prime membership or not. As mentioned above, the plan will be valid until March 31, 2020, and it’s already effective across all the circles except Andaman & Nicobar.

BSNL Bharat Fibre Broadband Plan Count Reaches Eight

BSNL is now offering eight Bharat Fibre broadband plans on a pan-India basis. The plans in question are Rs 499, Rs 849, Rs 1,277, Rs 2,499, Rs 4,499, Rs 5,999, Rs Rs 9,999 and Rs 16,999. For new customers, the state-run telco is providing Rs 777 broadband plan valid for six months after which they will be migrated to Rs 849 Bharat Fibre broadband plan without any intimation.

BSNL’s Bharat Fibre plans offer decent FUP limit, sans the newly launched Rs 499 broadband plan. For example, the Rs 849 Bharat Fibre plan comes with 600GB FUP limit per month and up to 100 Mbps speeds.

A couple of months ago, Bharti Airtel revamped its entire Airtel Xstream Fibre broadband plans and even started providing a 100 Mbps high-speed plan at just Rs 799 in almost every city where it is operating right now. Airtel now has just four broadband plans priced at Rs 799, Rs 999, Rs 1,499 and Rs 3,999, offering up to 1 Gbps speeds. Similar to JioFiber plans, the major drawback for Airtel Broadband plans is they come with a FUP limit. In some cities like Hyderabad, Airtel is providing unlimited data with all the broadband plans. But in most of the cities, it has a FUP limit. As per the latest development, Airtel Xstream Fibre plans now offer unlimited data on long-term subscriptions of six months or one year. Earlier, the ISP did not provide any such benefit with long-term subscriptions, so it’s a good move from the ISP after removing the three months Netflix subscription benefit.

Airtel Xstream Fibre Offering Unlimited Data on Long-Term Subscription

TelecomTalk spotted that the Airtel Xstream Fibre broadband plans in Chennai are available for up to one-year subscription through Airtel Thanks app and the Airtel self-care portal. For example, Airtel Xstream Fibre plans offer unlimited data in just two cities- Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam. And in other cities, they ship with a monthly FUP limit. For instance, the Rs 799 plan offers just 150GB data for one month, whereas the Rs 999 plan comes with 300GB FUP limit.

The six months pack of Rs 999 costs Rs 5,544 (excluding 18% GST) and it offers unlimited data every month. That said, even if Airtel says ‘unlimited data,’ there’s a FUP limit of 3.3TB every month. Not only for Rs 999 broadband plans, other long-term plans in Chennai and other cities are also shipping with unlimited data. Do make a note that this benefit is applicable only for six months and one-year subscriptions, and not for a three-month subscription.

This is a really good move from Bharti Airtel to lure the subscribers to join its network for a longer duration. Reliance JioFiber also has some exclusive offers on long-term subscriptions like double data benefit, an annual subscription to OTT apps or additional service for up to two months.

Airtel Xstream Fibre Still Offering Unlimited Data Add-On at Rs 299

Basically, the addition of unlimited data benefit to long-term plans removes the hassle to customers of recharging the unlimited data add-on of Rs 299. For the unaware, when Airtel revamped its Xtsream Fibre plans the last time, it came up with a Rs 299 add-on that allows users to consume monthly data of 3.3TB. For example, if you are on the Rs 799 plan which offers just 150GB data benefit, then you can opt for the Rs 299 add-on to make the data benefit 3.3TB or unlimited in Airtel’s terms.

Reliance JioFiber has regained the lost spot in Netflix ISP Speed Index as the Internet Service Provider (ISP) topped the chart with an average speed of 3.63 Mbps. Right after the commercial launch last year, speeds on JioFiber network dipped because of sub-par customer support. Netflix measures the streaming speed on every ISP and this report is for the month of January 2020. Earlier, Mumbai-based 7 Star Digital was leading the Netflix ISP Speed Index, but JioFiber got back to the top spot which it lost after the commercial launch. JioFiber is followed by 7 Star Digital, Spectra, Airtel, You Broadband and ACT Fibernet. It is sad to see ACT Fibernet dipping to the sixth position in the latest report.

JioFiber Regains the Top Spot With 3.63 Average Speed in Netflix ISP Speed Index

Because Reliance JioFiber offers a minimum speed of 100 Mbps on its network, it is still sad to see the ISP providing just 3.63 Mbps streaming speeds on Netflix. JioFiber is a full-fibre operator providing service across major parts of India. The company wants to offer high-speed broadband services in 1,100 cities. For the month of December 2019, JioFiber was in the second position, but in January 2020, it dethroned 7 Star Digital to get back the top spot.

For the unaware, the Netflix ISP Speed Index is a measure of prime time Netflix performance on particular ISPs across the globe and not a measure of overall performance for other services. The Netflix ISP Speed Index for January 2020 says JioFiber users had the best Netflix streaming experience, followed by 7 Star Digital and Spectra users.

7 Star Digital had an average streaming speed of 3.60 Mbps, whereas the same for Spectra was 3.50 Mbps. Airtel Broadband or Airtel Xstream Fibre is at fourth position with 3.48 Mbps speed and You Broadband secured the fifth spot with 3.41 Mbps streaming speed. ACT Fibernet is not in the top five list which is underwhelming to see because the ISP is even offering 1 Gbps broadband speeds in the country. State-run BSNL is on 14th spot with 2.50 Mbps registered speed for the month of January.

JioFiber Likely to Create a Huge Gap in the Coming Months

We are expecting JioFiber to generate a huge gap in the Netflix ISP Speed Index over the next couple of months since the basic speeds on the network are 100 Mbps. JioFiber is currently offering plans with speeds of 100 Mbps, 250 Mbps, 500 Mbps and 1 Gbps, at a starting price of Rs 699. The only drawback with JioFiber plans is the FUP limit, but besides that, the plans are very reasonable and they even come with OTT service subscriptions like Hotstar, SonyLIV, ZEE5, SunNXT, VOOT and JioCinema.

Airtel Xstream Fibre broadband plans also come with 100 Mbps speeds as a base, but the availability of the service is limited to top cities only for now. Before the arrival of JioFiber, Airtel Broadband used to be the country’s largest private ISP. On the other hand, 7 Star Digital is constantly securing the top three spot every month even after being an ISP in Mumbai city only for now. BSNL, being the one with a maximum of 100 Mbps speeds, can not break into the top 10 list as majority of the users are still on plans with less than 20 Mbps speeds.

Reliance JioFiber, which entered the broadband market with an aim to achieve 50 million users in the first year of starting operations, is currently facing a major setback with sub-par tariff plans. JioFiber users who were part of the Preview offer are disconnecting the service and choosing local ISPs because of the FUP limit they are providing right now. However, there’s a small trick with which JioFiber customers can get 5TB of data every month by paying Rs 1,170 for 35 days. Yes, a lot of JioFiber users are already following this method to avoid the poor FUP limit of monthly broadband plans. A few weeks ago, we reported the introduction of JioFiber Rs 199 weekly plan that offers 1TB data for one week, and it can be activated as a standalone plan as well.

JioFiber Rs 199 Weekly Plan for 30 Days Costs Rs 1,053 and Offers 4.5TB Data

So if a user recharges the Rs 199 plan for five times, then the overall charges including taxes would be Rs 1,170 only and they get a whopping 5TB of data. For the unaware, the benefits of the Rs 199 weekly standalone plan include 100 Mbps speeds, after FUP speeds of 1 Mbps and 1TB or 1000GB high-speed data. Earlier, the same plan used to provide just 100GB of data for one week, but Jio has modified it to offer 1TB of data benefit.

For 30 days, the charges of the plan, including taxes will be Rs 1,053 and users can enjoy 4.5TB. Since JioFiber is not allowing users to recharge the plan for anything less than a week, users have to calculate for five weeks which comes around Rs 1,170.

Besides the 100 Mbps speed limit, JioFiber’s Rs 199 weekly plan is a better overall option over the monthly plans. For instance, if a user opts for the Rs 1,299 JioFiber Gold plan, then the monthly charges will be Rs 1,299+18% GST, and in return, they get 250 Mbps speeds up to 750GB per month (for the first six months after which the data limit will be 500GB per month). As you can clearly see, the FUP limit is on the lower side. So if you are someone who can live with 100 Mbps speeds, we suggest you choose the Rs 199 plan itself. For the JioFiber users who are on Rs 699 and Rs 849 plans, the Rs 199 weekly plan is the best option. The only hassle with this option is users have to recharge every week and there’s no auto-renew being on offer right now.

JioFiber Broadband Plans See No Revision Even After Poor Response

Reliance Jio announced JioFiber tariff plans in August 2019 and received a lot of criticism for not being competitive in the sector. There were a lot of expectations from the brand, but it did not manage to reach. For example, JioFiber is providing just 150GB of FUP and 100 Mbps speeds for new users with the Rs 699 plan. On the other hand, Airtel Xstream Fibre has a Rs 799 plan with 150GB data limit and 100 Mbps speeds, but the ISP is at least providing the option of getting unlimited data every month by paying Rs 299 more.

JioFiber user base will not see a major increase with the current broadband plans on offer. As of November 30, 2019, JioFiber subscriber base was 0.83 million, and it will be interesting to see how much of increase we will see in the coming months.

Andhra Pradesh State FiberNet or AP Fiber has revised its broadband plans in Andhra Pradesh state. The revised broadband plans now start at just Rs 204 and they go all the way up to Rs 2,999, providing 100 Mbps speeds and up to 2TB of FUP limit every month. AP Fiber is providing broadband plans for both individual Homes and Institutions/Private Offices. The broadband plans for Home users also ship with television channels since they are part of the company’s Triple Play scheme. AP Fiber, as the name itself suggests, is a PSU owned and run by the government of Andhra Pradesh. Right now, the AP Fiber is providing services in 13 cities and it is rapidly expanding the service availability to other cities as well.

AP Fiber Updated Home Broadband Plans Start at Just Rs 204

Talking about the broadband plans aimed at the Home users, they start at just Rs 204 and go all the way up to Rs 599. Since AP Fiber is a budget broadband service provider, it isn’t offering high-speed premium broadband plans to the home users. The AP Fiber Basic plan priced at Rs 204 (excluding taxes) offers 250 channels, 15 Mbps speeds, 1 Mbps after FUP speeds and 50GB data for one month.

The AP Fiber Home Essential plan costs Rs 299 per month and ships with 250 Cable TV channels, 30 Mbps speeds, 3 Mbps after FUP speeds and 75GB of data per month. The Standard Triple Play plan also comes with 250 Cable TV channels, but the broadband speeds are 50 Mbps upload+download, 100GB FUP limit and 5 Mbps after FUP speeds.

Lastly, for the Home users, there’s the AP Fiber Premium plan priced at Rs 599 per month; This plan offers a user 50 Mbps speeds, 10 Mbps after FUP speeds and 200GB of FUP limit every month. The prices of the plans mentioned above are exclusive of taxes.

As you can see, the Triple Play plans from AP Fiber also ship with 250 Cable TV channels which are included in the same package price. Essentially, users get a broadband plan along with monthly Cable TV subscription at no extra cost.

AP Fiber Plans for Institutions/Private Offices Detailed

Besides the Home broadband plans, AP Fiber is also providing separate plans to Institutions/Private Offices available in the state. The AP Fiber Basic plan for institutions is priced at Rs 999 and it offers 100 Mbps speeds with 400GB FUP limit. The AP Fiber Standard pack costs Rs 1,499 and offers the same 100 Mbps speeds with 800GB FUP limit. Lastly, the Premium plan costs Rs 2,499 per month for 100 Mbps speeds and 2TB of FUP limit. All the three plans come with after FUP speeds of 1 Mbps and these are not part of Triple Play plans from AP Fiber, so there’s no Cable TV service offered.

Tip- MSRS Reddy

In a bid to outcome Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel has now introduced a new offer to broadband users in Chennai city who are looking to join the ISP. New Airtel broadband users will get 500GB data every day on top of the regular plan’s data benefit. After the revision at the end of 2019, Airtel Xstream Fibre is offering just four broadband plans in majority of the cities. The four plans in question are Rs 799, Rs 999, Rs 1,499 and Rs 3,999. All the new customers choosing any of the plans will be eligible for 500GB extra data offer. At the moment, we don’t have any information on how many months the extra data benefit will be offered. Also, the offer is valid only in Chennai right now and it will end after two days. With this offer, the base plan comes with 650GB per month at Rs 799.

Airtel Brings Extra Data Offer for New Broadband Users

In the past, we have seen Bharti Airtel providing Rs 1,000 off for new users, and now, the ISP has now come up with a new offer. New Airtel Xstream Fibre customers in Chennai city will be eligible for the offer. The company is offering 500GB extra data with all the broadband plans and this move will surely put Reliance Jio under a lot of pressure.

For example, if you are choosing the Airtel Entertainment broadband plan priced at Rs 999, then the overall data benefit, including this offer per month will become 800GB. The Rs 999 plan usually ships with just 300GB data per month. The Rs 1,499 broadband plan from Airtel Xstream Fibre offers a total of 1000GB or 1TB per month. The offer will expire in two days from now, and it is only available in Chennai right now.

Airtel Xstream Fibre Also Offering Unlimited Data With Long-Term Plans

A few days ago, we reported that Airtel Xstream Fibre users in the same Chennai city are getting an option to choose long-term plans. The speciality of these long-term plans will be the unlimited data benefit. For the unaware, Airtel Xstream Fibre has FUP limit on Rs 799, Rs 999 and Rs 1,499 broadband plans, so if a customer chooses any of these plans for six months, then unlimited data will be provided. The Rs 799 plan offers 100 Mbps speeds, Rs 999 plan ships with 200 Mbps speeds, Rs 1,499 comes with 300 Mbps speeds, and lastly, the Rs 3,999 is the only 1 Gbps broadband plan from Airtel.

GTPL Hathway and Cable TV have added 220,000 subscribers who use both broadband services and cable TV offered by the company. As per the earlier reports, GTPL Hathway is working with the prime motive of converting its cable TV households into FTTX households. In the previous year, GTPL introduced and relaunched its GTPL Giga HD Service which offered cable connections along with broadband services under a price range of Rs 499 to Rs 799. On occasion, Piyush Pankaj who is the head and chief strategy officer of GTPL Hathway addressed the analysts during Q3 earnings conference call and noted that “GTPL have added more than 220,000 subscribers who are using combo services and we are giving them special service and assistance. However, both Cable TV and Broadband services are distinct.”

GTPL Hathway Partners up with Reliance Jio

GTPL and Reliance Jio have partnered up and are exploring synergies in network infrastructure. According to the reports, Reliance Industries has acquired a significant chunk in Hathway Cable and Datacom, which almost owns a stake of 37.5 % in GTPL Hathway. As per the words of GTPL Hathway’s MD Anirudhsinh Jadeja “It is the privilege of GTPL to team up with Reliance Jio. There is no competition in the market, and wherever we share common ways, we complement each other. With Jio as our partner, there is a lot of synergies happening in a network infrastructure where our business is becoming stable because of mutual support.” Piyush Pankaj noted that capital expenditure of Q3 FY20 and 9M FY20 stood at Rs 36 crore and Rs 122 Crore respectively. Also, the company is planning to spend Rs 165 Crores on capital expenditure in FY20.

TRAI has Made Minor Changes in NTO

GTPL Hathway Chairman and non-executive director Rajan Gupta marked that NTO 2.0 is an extension of NTO 1.0 and the business model is expected to remain the same. Also, GTPL with its goodwill in many territories can charge higher DPOs and consumers will have more choices. In response to a question on ARPU, Pankaj noted that “we have to wait to see what new bouquets, new channel prices will be revealed by the broadcasters in NTO 2.0 and only after the assessment, we can give a clear statement on NTO 2.0 ARPU.” However, it is expected that ARPU will increase in the next 2 to 3 years.

Telecom Industry has been cash crunched as the telco giants are facing trouble paying their AGR dues. Currently, India is planning to provide universal access to broadband by the end of 2022. However, Industry feels that telecom infrastructure advancement would require an immediate policy implementation to overcome the current cash crunch situation, which would fulfil India’s plan to set up global broadband networks by 2022. As per the investment figures of 2019, the Universe Service obligation Fund (USOF) which is a national reserve to fund telecom infrastructure invested Rs 70,000 crore out of the giant Rs 7 lakh crore unveiled by the centre for broadband connectivity.

Government Plans to Add Fibre Footprints

As per the words of Tilak Raj Dua “India needs to install more than 1,00,000 towers in order to provide quality services to billion customers.” Currently, 16 out of 36 states and union territories have matched their policies with Centre’s Right-of-way (RoW) 2016 norms. To ensure global connectivity, the government is also planning to increase fibre footprints by nearly 7.5 kilometres by 2022.

Also, the BJP led government is planning to fiberise 60 % of the telecom towers by the end of 2022. In the context, Tilak Raj Dua also marked that availability of robust telecom infrastructure would ensure seamless connectivity and availability of broadband to masses. To provide better connectivity and sustainable broadband future, national policy is planning to offer universal broadband connectivity at 50 Mbps to every person by 2022. This news is reported by ET Telecom first.

DoT has Developed Broadband Readiness Index (BRI)

DoT has recently developed a Broadband Readiness Index (BRI) which will measure the availability of digital communications infrastructure and policy environment in sales. As per Sandeep Aggarwal who is the chairman of the telecom committee “government should give various incentives to tower firms and telcos to connect 100 % radios on their towers. Not only this, the government must invest in building 6 lakh kilometres per annum of OFC and requisite towers through BSNL”.

Peter Reichle who is the co-owner and member of Board of directors at Reichle Holdings (R&M) noted that “India is going to have a huge demand for fibre optic infrastructure driven by BharatNet and FTTH in the coming 3 to 4 years”.

Government is also planning to set up a digital fibre map of the digital communications network and infrastructure, including optical fibre cables and mobile towers.