News Broadcasting
BBC signs deal with Wi-Fi operator The Cloud
MUMBAI: UK pucaster The BBC has become the first UK broadcaster to have all of its online content made available free via Wi-Fi. The non-exclusive venture enables the public to access all bbc.co.uk content for free through the UK’s largest network of hotspots, operated by The Cloud.
The 7,500 hotspots are located at a multitude of locations across the UK, including McDonald’s, Coffee Republic and BAA airports (Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted), as well as a number of outdoor locations including Canary Wharf and the City of London.
Users will be able to access bbc.co.uk via an interactive video highlighting a range of content available or via a BBC logo, both of which are located on The Cloud’s landing site.
BBC director of future media and technology Ashley Highfield said, “We are delighted to be partnering with The Cloud in what we hope is the first of many such partnerships across the UK. This is a new environment for the BBC and one which we believe will be hugely important for our future success.
“This venture enables us to offer free Wi-Fi access to BBC content on the high street, furthering the BBC’s commitment to make its content as widely available as possible to our audiences wherever they are. For instance, they can catch up on Strictly Come Dancing while having a caffe latte in Coffee Republic.”
The Cloud group director of business development Owen Geddes says, “Wi-Fi is emerging as the technology of choice for media and content owners wanting to extend their reach beyond traditional channels.
“The explosion of media-capable devices, coupled with the high bandwidth and low cost Wi-Fi offers, means high-quality video and audio can be delivered to people wherever they are. The Cloud is leading the market, working with visionary thinkers like the BBC, in bringing content over wireless broadband to the mass market.”
In this initial phase, visitors to bbc.co.uk via The Cloud network will be able to view BBC content on all Wi-Fi compatible devices. However, users will only be able to download programmes from BBC iPlayer via a laptop.
In due course it is expected that the service will be available via mobile phones and other smart handheld devices.
News Broadcasting
Rising Bharat Summit 2026 to spotlight India’s global rise
PM Modi keynotes two-day event on 27–28 February in New Delhi with ministers, diplomats and icons.
MUMBAI: India’s rise isn’t just making headlines, it’s headlining its own summit, and this time the guest list reads like a global power playlist. News18 Network will host the Rising Bharat Summit 2026, a high-powered thought-leadership forum anchored around the theme “Spotlighting Bharat’s Rise: Driven by Strength Within.” The two-day event kicks off on 27 February 2026 at 10:00 AM in New Delhi, bringing together policymakers, diplomats, business leaders, strategists, innovators, and cultural icons for conversations that aim to define India’s confident, self-assured role on the world stage.
Prime minister Narendra Modi will deliver the keynote address, setting the tone for discussions on economic momentum, geopolitical positioning, and long-term aspirations for the decade ahead.
The ministerial lineup includes Piyush Goyal (Commerce and Industry), Ashwini Vaishnaw (Railways, Information & Broadcasting, Electronics & IT), Jyotiraditya M. Scindia (Communications & Development of North Eastern Region), and Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta.
Global diplomacy and strategic voices feature former Singapore foreign minister George Yeo, ex-UK Chief of defence staff general Sir Nick Carter, former US commerce secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez, and ambassadors from Norway (May-Elin Stener), Germany (Philipp Ackermann), and Sweden (Jan Thesleff).
Industry, innovation, and economic perspectives come from veteran investor Ramesh Damani, World Gold Council CEO David Tait, Vianai Systems Founder & CEO Dr Vishal Sikka, and Deeptech Bharat Foundation co-founder Shashi Shekhar Vempati.
Defence, technology, and thought leadership include Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, RSS Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh Sunil Ambekar, Apple expert Patrick McGee, military aviation historian Tom Cooper, and defence scholar Adrian Fontanellaz.
Culture, sports, and popular influence bring actor-MP Kangana Ranaut, Olympic medallists Saina Nehwal and PR Sreejesh, cricketers Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Mithali Raj, plus film stars Anil Kapoor and Yami Gautam.
Broadcast live across News18 Network channels, CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz, and streaming platforms from 10:00 am on both days, the summit aims to move beyond headlines and shape deeper narratives around policy, leadership, and innovation at a decisive moment for India’s global trajectory.
In a world watching Bharat’s next moves, this gathering isn’t just talk, it’s the opening scene of a story that’s already rewriting the script.
