Cable TV
DEN networks to use Alcatel-Lucent’s GPON tech for broadband services
MUMBAI : DEN Networks will deploy Alcatel-Lucent’s GPON and IP routers to enable DEN Networks to launch ultra-broadband access services in India.
DEN Networks is offering services in the fast-growing broadband market, where cable and satellite pay-TV subscribers are estimated to rise to 175 million by 2019, from 139 million today. With a customer base 13 million cable TV service over 200 cities, DEN Networks plans to use fiber-optic access technology to expand its ‘DEN Boomband’ broadband service to 8.5 million city homes within three years.
Since September 2015, Alcatel-Lucent has been deploying its GPON (gigabit passive optical networking) fiber-to-the-home, Ethernet aggregation and Broadband Network Gateway IP routing technologies with DEN Networks, delivering services to new customers as well as those already served by the existing DOCSIS-based network. In some areas of the network Alcatel-Lucent’s technology is providing backhaul connectivity, with the existing coaxial cable being used for ‘last-mile’ service delivery.
Alcatel-Lucent is providing its GPON technology, which includes the 7360 Intelligent Service Access Manager (ISAM) FX, the 7368 Intelligent Services Aware Manager ONT and the 5520 Access Management System (AMS) to enable high-speed ultra-broadband access for homes and businesses using both fiber-to-the-home and fiber-to-the-node technologies to serve individual and multi-dwelling residences.
Alcatel-Lucent will also provide its IP routing and switching portfolio to Den Networks. The 7210 Service Access Switch will provide layer three aggregation and the 7750 Service Routers will act as a broadband network gateway for residential services. Network management and subscriber level reporting will be provided by the 5620 Service Aware Manager and 5670 Reporting and Analysis Manager respectively.
Pradeep Parameswaran of DEN Networks said, “We are committed to delivering the fastest high speed experience to our business and residential subscribers in India. Broadband is our key thrust area and we constantly strive to make the experience fast and consistent for our customers. With Alcatel-Lucent’s fiber and IP routing solutions we now extend our high-speed Internet connectivity and services superfast surfing experience to more people and businesses around the country.”
Srini Sundararajan of Alcatel-Lucent said, “Working with the DEN Networks on an in-depth study and trials, we were able to show how our IP routing and GPON technology would help it scale to better meet the growing demands of their customers.”
Cable TV
Hathway Cable appoints Gurjeev Singh Kapoor as CEO
Leadership change comes as cable TV faces shrinking subscriber base and modest earnings pressure
MUMBAI: Hathway Cable and Datacom has tapped industry veteran Gurjeev Singh Kapoor as chief executive officer, marking a leadership pivot at a time when India’s cable television business is under mounting strain.
Kapoor will take over from Tavinderjit Singh Panesar, who is set to retire in August after a long innings with the company. Panesar, chief executive since 2023, has held multiple leadership roles at Hathway, including his latest stint beginning in 2022.
Kapoor brings more than three decades of experience in media and entertainment. He most recently led distribution at The Walt Disney Company’s Star India business, now part of JioStar. His career spans television distribution and affiliate partnerships, with stints at Sony Pictures Networks India, Discovery Communications and Zee Entertainment.
Panesar, with over three decades in the industry, has worked across strategic planning, distribution and business development in media, broadcasting and manufacturing. His past associations include ESPN Star Sports, Star India, Apollo Tyres and JK Industries.
The transition lands as the cable sector grapples with structural disruption. Traditional operators are losing ground to streaming platforms, while telecom and broadband players tighten the squeeze with bundled offerings.
An EY report estimates India’s pay-TV base could shrink by a further 30 to 40 million households by 2030, taking the total down to 71 to 81 million. The slide follows a loss of nearly 40 million homes between 2018 and 2024, a contraction that has already wiped out more than 37,000 jobs in the local cable operator ecosystem.
Hathway’s numbers reflect the strain. The company reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 93 crore for FY25, down from Rs 99 crore a year earlier. Revenue inched up to Rs 2,040 crore from Rs 1,981 crore. As of December 2025, it had about 4.7 million cable TV subscribers and roughly 1.02 million broadband users.
Kapoor steps in with a familiar brief but a shrinking playbook. In a market where viewers are cutting cords faster than companies can reinvent them, the new chief executive inherits a business fighting to stay plugged in.
