DTH
DoT grants ILD & NLD licenses for BT India
MUMBAI: BT announced that it has been granted international long distance (ILD) and national long distance licenses (NLD) by the Department of Telecommunications, Government of India. These licenses enable BT’s newly-formed joint venture company, BT Telecom India Pvt Ltd, to offer services for the first time directly to multi-site corporate customers in the Indian market.
BT plans to provide corporate customers who have sites in India with virtual private network-based (VPN) services using technologies such as internet protocol-based multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) and ATM.
BT Global Services CEO Andy Green said, “This is fantastic news, allowing BT to establish and manage our own operations in India. It’s also great news for our multinational customers doing business in India and our Indian customers wanting to access a BT-managed network which is connected to BT’s comprehensive global network across Asia Pacific, Europe and North America.”
Minister of Communication and IT M Maran said, “To further promote investment into India and enhance business opportunities for Indian companies operating overseas, India must have the best and latest infrastructure. These licenses will allow BT to bring its 21 CN services to India’s IT and ITES sector and increasing their competitiveness through connectivity, availability, quality and responsiveness on a global scale.”
The company also predicted in 2006 that its revenues from India will be US$250 million by 2009 and that it is looking to increase its Indian employee strength by hiring an additional 6,000 people within the next two years. In February 2007, BT signed an agreement for the acquisition of i2i Enterprise Pvt Ltd, a Mumbai-based enterprise services company specialising in internet protocol (IP) communications services for major Indian and global multinational companies.BT also plans to add additional resources to support its already substantial capabilities in outsourcing and systems integration services.
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.
