GECs
MTNL, BSNL to kick-off IPTV from Mumbai, Chennai
MUMBAI: The first roll out of cable TV through telephone lines will be in Mumbai and Chennai soon. That is, if union information technology and communications minister Dayanidhi Maran’s words turn true.
“MTNL and BSNL have already been asked to ride on IPTV. Mumbai and Chennai will be the first cities to start it soon,” Maran said, while addressing the press here today at the Digital Summit 2005-06, organised by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI).
It may be recalled that MTNL has pumped in money to deploy a networking platform developed by Ericsson. But it is yet to develop the content delivery platform (CDN) through which it can drive video content. BSNL has also not been able to offer IPTV, despite appointing I-Spatial as a franchisee to launch operations in Bangalore. The experiment failed to mature into a commercial launch and BSNL is working out plans on how to set the process forward for IPTV.
Speaking on the need for developing an Indian language translation browser, Maran said the government has asked the department of information technology (DIT) and Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) to work together. “It will probably take us 2-3 years to develop this. We have started preliminary work,” he said.
The government expects to come out with speedier and cheaper servers to host websites from India. “By June, we hope to come out with our own server farms. This will make it cheaper for websites to host from India as they don’t have to consume international bandwidth which is costly,” Maran said.
He expressed dissatisfaction over the progress of broadband in the country. “It is 367 days since we launched our broadband drive. BSNL and MTNL have a total of 400,000 broadband connections,” the minister said. This is despite prices having fallen from Rs 3,000 per connectivity in 2004 to Rs 500 in 2005 and Rs 199 now.
The mobile sector, in contrast, has seen exponential growth. The boom is because there is more transparency in this sector while “there is still haze” in broadband tariffs. Content will also have to be beefed up, he added.
The government is creating an information highway of state-wide area network and has made an allocation of Rs 33 billion. “We are setting up 100,000 kiosks,” Maran said.
GECs
Asianet Television Awards 2026 celebrates women power in Malayalam TV
“She is the Colour” theme honours icons as ceremony airs on March 14 and 15 at 7 PM.
MUMBAI: If television lights up living rooms, this year Asianet decided to let women provide the colour. The Asianet Television Awards 2026 turned the spotlight firmly on women empowerment with the theme “She is the Colour”, celebrating the strength, resilience and achievements of women who continue to shape society and the Malayalam entertainment industry.
The ceremony honoured several distinguished personalities whose journeys have left a lasting cultural imprint. Among them was legendary playback singer Vimala Varma, widely recognised as the first Malayalam playback singer. The evening also paid tribute to Padma Shri awardees Devaki Amma and Vimala Menon for their exceptional contributions in their respective fields.
Leading women from the Malayalam film industry were also recognised during the event, including actor Shweta Menon, who currently serves as president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, and National Award winning actor Surabhi Lakshmi.
The awards ceremony brought together a glittering lineup of actors and industry figures, including Jayasurya, Vijay Babu, Asha Sarath, Lena, Esther Anil, Anumol, Akhila Bhargavan, Sarayu Mohan, Prajod Kalabhavan, Gayathri Suresh, Sabumon Abdusamad, Swasika, Tini Tom, Sijoy Varghese, Kailash, Veena Nandakumar, Sabareesh Varma, Ansiba Hassan and Dinesh Prabhakar. Kishan Kumar, executive vice president Malayalam at JioStar, was also present at the event.
Beyond individual recognitions, the awards celebrated excellence across Malayalam television, acknowledging artists and technicians whose work continues to drive the industry forward.
The evening also offered plenty of spectacle, with elaborate dance performances, stunt acts and comedy skits performed by popular television and film personalities, turning the ceremony into a full fledged entertainment showcase.
Viewers will get to watch the celebrations when the Asianet Television Awards 2026 air on Asianet on March 14 and 15, Saturday and Sunday, from 7 pm onwards, bringing the star studded tribute to homes across Kerala and beyond.
