DTH
Tata Sky deploys Brocade to boost data center capacity
MUMBAI: Faced with exponential growth in demand for satellite broadcaster and interactive TV services, direct-to-home (DTH) satellite broadcaster Tata Sky has selected an advanced networking system from Brocade to significantly boost data center capacity.
Tata Sky has been using Brocade network switches for its call center operations. Now, as part of a broader upgrade at its key data center that also increases data storage system capacity from Brocade, the company is set to deploy an efficient and highly scalable Ethernet fabric based on Brocade VDX 6740 switches and Brocade VCS Fabric technology.
Compared to the conventional three-tier switching infrastructure it will replace, the Brocade network solution operates as a single layer and as a single virtual device that delivers low-latency application performance and a much better user experience.
“Tata Sky’s partnership with Brocade is strategic and long term. The core engineering talent and passion to deliver stands out at Brocade. We are planning to consolidate our data centers and Brocade will be our preferred networking partner. High throughput, no latency, and the highest level of automation are key features of Brocade technology that are directly relevant for our IT infrastructure,” said Tata Sky chief information officer Ravishanker.N.
“The explosive demand for increasingly high-resolution video content across all platforms is making the media and entertainment industry one of the hottest areas in terms of adopting new network technology. Tata Sky will be moving straight to the leading edge with a data center Ethernet fabric that will enable it to scale its network almost effortlessly. The intelligent foundation for the increased virtualisation of its data center operations will also give it the agility to better deal with spikes in service demand,” added Brocade Australia and New Zealand senior director Gary Denman.
As part of this solution, Brocade VDX 6740 switches support the VCS Fabric technology, which enables a high-performance switching cluster of interconnected switches that are manageable as a single device. By adding switches to the fabric – which is a simple matter of activating the 40 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) interconnects and powering up the devices – Tata Sky will be able to enjoy linear data center scalability in cost-effective increments.
The Brocade VDX switches are designed to support the high-bandwidth demands of virtual machine hosts, delivering a high density of wire-speed 10 GbE ports in a top-of-rack configuration. The low-latency port-to-port performance across the VCS fabric enables it to efficiently manage the high level of “East-West” traffic typical of cloud data centers. The VCS fabric will also provide Tata Sky with a very high level of network automation and virtual machine awareness, helping to greatly increase the agility of its data center operations.
DTH
DD Free Dish e-auction heats up with 26 MPEG-2 slots sold in two days
Hindi movies, GEC and news dominate; Star Utsav Movies tops Day 2 at Rs 213.45 crore
MUMBAI- The bidding war on DD Free Dish is turning into a blockbuster and the slots are selling faster than popcorn at interval. Prasar Bharati’s 8th annual MPEG-2 e-auction delivered another strong day on Tuesday, with 18 more channels securing spots across movies, regional music and news buckets, taking the two-day total to 26.
Day 2 belonged to the movies and news categories. In Bucket A (Hindi Movies), Star Utsav Movies led the pack at Rs 213.45 crore, pipped only narrowly by Zee Action at Rs 213.4 crore. Goldmines landed at Rs 13.35 crore and Zee Anmol at Rs 13.3 crore, showing razor-thin price bands and fierce competition. Bucket B saw Zee Bioscope top at Rs 10.6 crore, Bhojpuri Cinema Rs 10.5 crore, B4U Bhojpuri Rs 10.2 crore, while Showbox, Unique TV and B4U Music each closed at Rs 10.25 crore.
News channels in Bucket C stayed tightly bunched: NDTV, Aaj Bharat, Zee News and India TV all secured slots at Rs 8.6 crore, with News Nation and ABP News slightly higher at Rs 8.65 crore. Bucket D rounded out with Russia Today at Rs 9.75 crore and GTC Punjabi at Rs 7.92 crore.
Day 1 had already set a premium tone, with eight slots snapped up – six in Bucket A+ (Hindi/Urdu GEC, starting reserve Rs 15 crore) and two in Bucket A (Hindi/Urdu Movies, starting Rs 12 crore). Sony PAL topped Day 1 winners at Rs 16.55 crore, Star Utsav Rs 16.25 crore, Shemaroo TV Rs 16.35 crore, Zee Anmol, Colors Rishtey and Sun Neo at Rs 16.40 crore each. Sony WAH took a Bucket A slot at Rs 13.95 crore and Zee Anmol Cinema at Rs 13.45 crore.
The surge reflects broadcasters’ hunger for DD Free Dish’s estimated 43–45 million rural and semi-urban households, where Hindi GEC and movies remain advertising goldmines.
The auction runs under the revised E-auction Methodology 2025 (amended 9 January 2026), with escalating reserves – Round 2 Bucket A+ at Rs 16 crore, Round 3 Bucket A at Rs 13 crore – and stricter eligibility to weed out speculative bids. Channels must be operational, available in the relevant language, and already carried on at least one private DTH, DD Free Dish or registered MSO.
With premium genres flying off the shelf, the coming rounds will test how deep pockets really are as reserves climb and tactical down-bidding gets harder. In India’s largest free-to-air universe, these auctions aren’t just about slots – they’re about who gets to stay on the screen that reaches deepest into the heartland.
