DTH
UTStarcom associates with China Telecom for IPTV
MUMBAI: UTStarcom, Inc., a global player in IP-based, end-to-end networking solutions and services, has announced contracts with China Telecom to deploy its RollingStream(TM) end-to-end IPTV solution in two cities in the Fujian Province in southern China.
UTStarcom’s RollingStream is an end-to-end solution designed for telecommunications operators and broadband service providers to deliver broadcast quality TV and on-demand entertainment programming over IP networks.
“We believe that IPTV will be a driving force in the development of broadband services throughout China as consumers discover the freedom of timeless television and the variety of choices and value-added services that our RollingStream system can offer,” said Bill Huang, chief technology officer and senior vice president of engineering for UTStarcom. “Both Fuzhou and Quanzhou represent exciting and fertile opportunities for the growth of IPTV as less than 5 percent of the population in each city currently has access to broadband services.”
In Fuzhou, the capital city of Fujian Province with nearly six million residents, the initial deployment has a capacity of 12,000 concurrent media streams, covering the major metropolitan areas of the city. Initially it plans to offer users 70 channels of live broadcast television with “time-shifting” capabilities and approximately 3,000 hours of video-on-demand. The operator is targeting 50,000 users by the end of 2006, states an official release.
In Quanzhou, a coastal city with approximately 6.5 million residents, the initial deployment is planned to support 37,000 concurrent media streams and covers the city’s main districts and initially offers users 70 channels of live broadcast television with “time-shifting” capabilities and approximately 5,000 hours of video-on-demand. The operator is targeting 80,000 users by the end of 2006, the release adds.
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.
