DTH
UK leads the way in digital TV conversion in Europe
MUMBAI: The UK is leading the race to switch-off its analogue TV signal. As European regulators consider imposing a universal switch-off date, new research from Informa Telecoms & Media shows that by the end of 2005 digital TV penetration in the UK will have increased to 66 per cent.
This compares with 58 per cent at the end of 2004, according to Informa’s TV International Database. It forecasts that the number of digital homes in the UK will end this year at 16.4 million, up from 14.4 million at the end of 2004. The UK has a provisional target date of 2012 for full analogue switch-off, beginning with the Border region in 2008.
Sweden, which is expected to end 2005 with a digital TV penetration rate of almost 44 per cent is committed to make the switchover to digital in 2008. Ireland Norway and Finland are the only other countries which will have an end-2005 digital TV penetration rate above 30 per cent at the end of 2005. All these countries are looking to make the digital switchover before the end of 2010.
AHowever, plans for an early analogue switch-off for some European territories remain ambitious. France, which has a provisional date of 2010 will end 2005 with a digital TV penetration at slightly more than one quarter of its households. Italy, which has one of the region’s most ambitious switchover timetables will end 2005 with a penetration rate below 20%.
According to TVI Database senior analyst Simon Dyson, “The prospects of an early switch-off of analogue signals in some European countries looks unlikely, given the slower than expected rate of shift to digital. Even the UK, which has Europe’s highest digital penetration rate, could have some problems with resistance from later adopters.”
However, despite a possible time lag in full conversion, digital TV has enjoyed a growing acceptance. The total number of digital homes in Europe reached 37 million at the end of 2004, equivalent to slightly less than 16 per cent of the region’s TV households. This figure is forecast to increase to 44.1 million by the end of 2005, or 19 per cent of TV households.
DTH
GTPL Hathway posts FY26 revenue growth, Q4 slips into loss
Annual profit at Rs 5.88 crore; Q4 loss at Rs 5.90 crore
MUMBAI: A strong year met a shaky finish as GTPL Hathway closed FY26 on a high note only to stumble at the final hurdle. The company’s latest financials reveal a tale of two timelines: steady annual growth alongside a fourth-quarter dip that nudged it into the red. GTPL Hathway Limited reported total income of Rs 2,472.46 crore for the year ended March 31, 2026, marking a clear rise from Rs 2,223.00 crore in FY25. Revenue from operations stood at Rs 2,450.78 crore, up from Rs 2,193.38 crore a year ago, signalling consistent traction in its core cable TV and broadband business.
Yet, beneath the annual growth narrative, the March quarter told a different story. The company posted a net loss of Rs 5.90 crore in Q4 FY26, a sharp reversal from a profit of Rs 0.91 crore in the preceding quarter and Rs 8.15 crore in the same period last year. Total income for the quarter came in at Rs 618.46 crore, largely flat sequentially but higher than Rs 569.33 crore reported a year earlier.
The pressure was visible across the cost structure. Total expenses for the quarter rose to Rs 620.64 crore, marginally exceeding income and tipping the company into a loss before tax of Rs 7.87 crore. This compares with a profit before tax of Rs 1.22 crore in the December quarter and Rs 11.32 crore in Q4 FY25.
For the full year, however, profitability held firm. GTPL reported a net profit of Rs 5.88 crore in FY26, significantly lower than Rs 47.80 crore in FY25, but still in positive territory despite higher finance costs and operating expenses. Operating expenses alone climbed to Rs 1,884.53 crore for the year, up from Rs 1,603.53 crore, reflecting the increasing cost of running and scaling network infrastructure.
Finance costs also rose notably to Rs 33.57 crore in FY26 from Rs 22.19 crore in FY25, while depreciation and amortisation expenses stood at Rs 189.19 crore, underlining continued investments in assets and technology. Employee benefit expenses, however, declined to Rs 63.42 crore from Rs 77.08 crore, offering some relief on the cost front.
An exceptional item of Rs 5.69 crore during the year also weighed on profitability, compared with Rs 3.79 crore in the previous year. Meanwhile, tax adjustments, including deferred tax movements and prior-year adjustments, played a role in shaping the final earnings outcome.
Despite the quarterly wobble, the broader picture suggests a company still expanding its top line while grappling with margin pressures. With paid-up equity share capital unchanged at Rs 112.46 crore, the focus now shifts to whether GTPL can convert its revenue momentum into more stable, sustainable profitability in the coming quarters.
In short, FY26 may have delivered growth on paper but the closing chapter serves as a reminder that in business, as in broadband, consistency is everything.
