iWorld
Airtel expands network in UP West, Uttarakhand for better connectivity
Mumbai: Bharti Airtel has turbocharged its network in Uttar Pradesh (West) and Uttarakhand, providing customers with superior voice and data connectivity across all 40 districts. The company announced on 18 October 2024, that it has successfully deployed additional spectrum acquired in July 2024, enhancing its 5G and 4G network capacities.
The deployment of 5MHz on the 2100 band will significantly improve data speeds and indoor coverage for customers in urban and rural areas. Residents in cities such as Agra, Aligarh, Meerut, Bareilly, Moradabad, and Dehradun can now enjoy faster browsing speeds and improved call connectivity. Airtel’s enhanced services will also benefit those traveling along highways and rail routes, providing broader coverage and meeting the growing demand for connectivity in rural regions.
Bharti Airtel, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, CEO, Sovan Mukharjee stated, “Airtel’s commitment to superior network performance is unwavering. With the integration of this new spectrum, customers across the state can now enjoy enhanced call connectivity, faster data speeds, and an overall improved experience.”
Airtel secured 97 MHz of spectrum during the recent auction, solidifying its position as a leader in India’s telecommunications landscape. This deployment allows the company to expand its sub-GHz spectrum, consolidating fragmented spectrum blocks into a continuous spectrum, and positioning itself to meet growing data demands with its 5G and 4G services.
iWorld
T20 World Cup ’26: India–England semi-final sets global streaming record of 619 million views on JioHotstar
India–England semi-final records 65.2 million peak streams
MUMBAI: The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 set a new milestone in global sports streaming, as the India–England semi-final drew record digital audiences on JioHotstar.
The match on 5 March registered 65.2 million peak concurrent viewers, the highest ever recorded for a live event on any streaming platform worldwide. The semi-final also generated 619 million views, making it the most streamed T20 international match in history.
The landmark audience numbers were driven largely by viewers in India, setting a record achieved within a single market, rather than through aggregated viewership across multiple countries.
The high-scoring encounter between India national cricket team and England cricket team produced 499 runs across both innings, fuelling widespread fan engagement across platforms.
According to the International Cricket Council, the digital record surpassed the previous global benchmark of 65 million concurrent viewers, set in November 2024 by another international streaming platform.
Across television and digital platforms combined, the semi-final reached more than 320 million viewers, while total watch time exceeded 23 billion minutes, making it the most watched T20 international match ever.
“This World Cup demonstrates the immense passion of cricket fans and the progress made in bringing the game closer to audiences worldwide,” said ICC chairman Jay Shah.
“This moment reflects the scale of cricket fandom in India and the technological capability required to serve hundreds of millions of viewers simultaneously.”
JioStar vice-chairman Uday Shankar, said the audience surge underscored the future of large-scale digital entertainment.
“One in every three Indians tuned in to watch the second semi-final. Delivering such an experience at scale requires the very best of technology,” he said.
The 619 million views during the match also eclipsed the 533 million views recorded during the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
With the final yet to be played, the 2026 tournament has already set multiple benchmarks in audience reach and digital engagement.
India will face the New Zealand national cricket team in the final on 8 March at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The match will be broadcast on the Star Sports Network and streamed on JioHotstar.
