DTH
Trai: Broadband connections touch 1 million; mobile users nearing 81 million
MUMBAI: Broadband connections in India have touched just one million, way behind the government’s target of three million for December 2005.
Internet subscriber base, however, has crossed 7.5 million, exceeding the target of 6 million. “This shows that there is a demand for both broadband and internet. But the service providers are not being able to fulfill the broadband demand,” the telecom regulatory authority of India (Trai) said in a release, putting its estimates on the growth of the industry.
Telephony services has shown a record growth of 4.97 million subscribers during January 2006 as compared to 4.92 million subscribers in December 2005, according to a compilation done by Trai based on latest reports from operators. During the first 10 months of fiscal 2005-2006 (till end-January 06) around 31.41 million subscribers have been added, Trai said.
For the mobile segment 4.69 million subscribers have been added during January 2006, as compared to 4.46 million in December 2005. While 3.52 million GSM subscribers were added, CDMA subscribers grew by 1.17 million. In comparison, 3.19 million GSM and 1.27 million CDMA subscribers were added last month.
During the first ten months of the current financial year, about 28.39 million mobile subscribers were added, making it a total of 80.61 million mobile subscribers at the end of January, 2006.
In the fixed segment, a total of 0.28 million subscribers were added during January 2006, which were predominantly WLL (F). With this, the total subscriber base of fixed lines have reached 49.21 million. The gross subscribers’ base consisting of fixed as well as mobile has reached around 130 million.
The tele-density at the end of January 2006 has reached near 12 per cent as compared to 11.43 at the end of previous month, Trai said.
DTH
DD Free Dish e-auction revenue dips to Rs 642 crore as slot sales fall
Revenue dips as revised norms reshape bidding in 94th round
NEW DELHI: Prasar Bharati’s DD Free Dish has closed its 8th annual, and 94th overall, e-auction for MPEG-2 slots with total collections of Rs 642 crore for the period April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027.
That is lower than last year’s Rs 780 crore haul, with 55 slots sold compared with 61 in FY25–26. The softer topline reflects both a slimmer inventory and a recalibrated auction framework.
This was the first auction conducted after amendments to the e-auction methodology, including tighter eligibility norms and a revised reserve price structure for MPEG-2 slots. The stated aim was greater transparency and more serious participation. The immediate outcome appears to be more measured bidding in certain categories.
Day one set the tone. Eight slots were sold, six in the premium Bucket A+ and two in Bucket A. The strong early action in A+, which typically houses Hindi GECs and movie channels, reaffirmed the enduring appeal of mass Hindi programming on the platform.
Among the broadcasters securing slots in the initial rounds were Zee Entertainment Enterprises, Sony Pictures Networks India, Viacom18’s Colors network, Sun Network and Shemaroo Entertainment. Their continued presence signals that, despite the pull of digital platforms, Free Dish remains a strategic must have for legacy networks chasing scale in price sensitive markets.
The final bouquet of 55 channels leans heavily towards Hindi news, movies, devotional fare, Bhojpuri and regional programming.
In Hindi news, familiar heavyweights such as Aaj Tak, ABP News, India TV, News18 India, Republic Bharat and Zee News made the cut. Entertainment and movie offerings include Colors Rishtey, Star Utsav, Dangal TV, Sony Pal, Shemaroo TV, Goldmines, B4U Movies and Zee Biskope. Devotional viewers will find Aastha, Sanskar and Sadhna Gold among the selected channels.
Regional representation includes Sun Marathi, Fakt Marathi, PTC Punjabi and GTC Punjabi.
Equally telling were the absences. Broadcasters such as Big Magic, Filamchi Bhojpuri, India News, Bharat Express, Movieplex Maithili, TV9 Marathi, Shemaroo Marathibana, Zee Chitra Mandir and Satsang did not participate. The pullback is particularly visible across Marathi, Bhojpuri, Maithili and spiritual programming. Industry observers point to the revised reserve prices, tighter eligibility norms and a reassessment of commercial viability as possible factors.
DD Free Dish continues to beam into over 40 million homes, largely in rural and semi urban India. For advertisers and broadcasters alike, it offers efficient access to Bharat markets where pay TV penetration remains uneven and OTT subscriptions are limited.
The moderation in revenue this year may be read as a pause rather than a retreat. Fewer slots, a reworked auction playbook and evolving broadcaster strategies have clearly shaped outcomes. Yet premium Hindi entertainment retains its pull, and the platform’s mass reach remains hard to ignore.
As the FY26–27 line-up settles in, the mix of winners and walkaways will define the private satellite channel landscape on DD Free Dish for the year ahead.
