Broadband
DEN selects Cisco DOCSIS 3.0 technology for broadband
NEW DELHI: After multi system operator (MSO) Hathway Cable and Datacom launched DOCSIS 3.0 technology in October 2013, it is now DEN Networks that has selected Cisco’s DOCSIS 3.0 technology for its newly launched broadband service in India.
DOCSIS 3.0 is a key component of the Cisco IP NGN architecture, which promises speeds of up to 300 Mbps per subscriber. With this, the MSO will be able to provide ultra-high-speed internet to deliver more content as compared to the existing telecom Internet service providers (ISPs).
DEN currently reaches out to 13 million homes in over 200 cities. The MSO also offers digital cable TV services in India, using Cisco’s conditional access and middleware (set-top box software) and presently reaches over six million digital pay-TV homes.
To begin with, DEN soft-launched its ultra-high-speed broadband service in one of its biggest markets and its home base, Delhi, and intends to expand the offering to other cities. The adoption of DOCSIS 3.0 is a strategic decision by the MSO to provide its subscribers with a seamless online experience with no buffering, lightning-fast downloads and higher-quality video content compared with existing telecom ISPs.
Despite a population of 1.27 billion, according to TRAI’s latest Telecom Performance Indicators Report (October–December 2013), India has only 238.71 million Internet subscribers, out of which 18.33 million subscribers are wired Internet subscribers. The remaining 220.38 million access the internet though wireless connections like smartphones and data cards. The country’s major MSOs are preparing to capture this wireline broadband market using DOCSIS technology, giving a much-needed boost to broadband penetration in India, with each MSO also aware of the untapped 100 million cable TV homes in India. Therefore, the deployment of DOCSIS 3.0 across its existing cable networks is a significant step by DEN to capitalise on the enormous business potential of the broadband market.
DEN COO Mohammad Ghulam Azhar said: “We are excited by the high-speed internet opportunity in India. With this superior technology, we are aiming to provide our broadband subscribers with a fast and consistent online experience.”
Cisco India and SAARC president, sales Dinesh Malkani added: “Cisco’s vision is to be the leading enabler of ICT (Information and Communications Technology) and broadband acceleration in India through innovative, scalable, high-value technology offerings and solutions. We believe our engagement with DEN has the potential to transform the cable and broadband industry in India by offering high-speed services to millions of subscribers and connecting those who previously were unable to access premium broadband services.”
Broadband
Tejas Networks names Arnob Roy as MD and CEO, overhauls top leadership team
The Bengaluru-based telecom gear maker reshuffles its entire top team even as quarterly revenue collapses by 83 per cent
BENGALURU: Tejas Networks is changing the guard at the top, and doing so at speed. The Bengaluru-headquartered telecom equipment maker has elevated Arnob Roy as managing director and chief executive officer, effective April 15, 2026, for a term running through to August 3, 2028, and in the same breath announced new appointments across operations and finance. The timing is pointed: the company is navigating one of the roughest patches in its recent history.
Roy steps up from his role as executive director and chief operating officer, a position he has held since March 2019. He brings more than three decades of experience in the high-technology sector across research and development, operations, and sales. His predecessor, Anand Athreya, resigned last year citing personal reasons and was relieved on June 20, 2025, leaving a gap at the top that has now been formally filled.
The numbers Roy inherits are sobering. Tejas posted a net loss of Rs 211.3 crore in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2026, a near-194 per cent widening year on year from Rs 71.8 crore in the same period a year earlier. Revenue for the quarter collapsed 82.6 per cent year on year to Rs 333 crore, down from Rs 1,907 crore. EBITDA swung to a loss of Rs 118.2 crore against a profit of Rs 121.5 crore a year ago. The culprit is not hard to identify: Tejas has derived the bulk of its revenue from BSNL’s fourth-generation network project, delivered as part of a Tata Consultancy Services-driven consortium, and that roll-out is now winding down.
Roy, speaking during a post-earnings conference call with analysts, was candid about where the company has been. “The BSNL 4G network went live across 100,000 sites. We deployed our largest indigenous router networks in the country through the BSNL MAN network, as well as in the BharatNet Phase 3 network,” he said, adding that Tejas had also successfully rolled out its 400G and 800G DWDM equipment in domestic and international markets, and continued the deployment of what it describes as the world’s largest satellite IoT network through its vehicle tracking system solution.
The pivot to new revenue streams is already under way. Tejas has partnered with Japan’s Rakuten Symphony and NEC Corporation to push deeper into international markets, with several Open Radio Access Network trials ongoing, one of which concluded recently. The company is also diversifying across equipment categories and geographies to sustain momentum as the BSNL chapter closes.
To prosecute that strategy, Roy needs a full team around him. Preetham Uthaiah has been appointed chief operating officer, moving up from his current role as vice president of product management for wireless products at Tejas Networks. Uthaiah brings nearly 30 years of global experience spanning engineering, product management, and business development across India and the United States. Before joining Tejas Networks, he served as executive vice president of product management, marketing, and strategy at Saankhya Labs, and held senior roles at Tech Mahindra on both sides of the Atlantic. He holds an MBA from Arizona State University and a degree in electronics and communications from Karnatak University.
On the finance front, AVS Prasad has been approved as chief financial officer, effective May 16, 2026, succeeding Sumit Dhingra, who has resigned. Prasad, currently serving as finance controller at Tejas Networks, brings over 27 years of experience within the Tata Group across telecom, aerostructures, and defence. A company secretary and cost and management accountant by training, he has spent more than 15 years in senior finance roles including CFO and financial controller positions, with expertise spanning corporate finance, treasury management, regulatory compliance, internal audit, and governance.
New chief executive, new chief operating officer, new chief financial officer — all installed in a single move, at a moment when the company’s largest revenue source is drying up and the next chapter remains unwritten. Tejas Networks has placed its bets. Now it has to deliver.
