News Broadcasting
Hathway launches new scheme for cable Internet subscribers
Hathway Cable & Datacom has announced a new scheme to promote Internet through cable as a viable alternative to dial-up. The Silver Starter rate plan offers bandwidth of 64 kbps with a download limit of 300MB. The monthly charge is Rs 650 while the yearly charge is Rs 6500. This is a reduction from the earlier flat fee of Rs 1000 per subscriber. Free e-mail service of 5 mb will also be provided. The Silver Starter plan will exist along with the other schemes where monthly instalments start from Rs 1000 onwards.
The company has also started monthly billing for SMTP Services for domains other than Hathway. The monthly charge is Rs 600 plus the 5 per cent service tax. Earlier this month the company reduced the cable modem price to Rs 7,800 from Rs 9000.
All these initiatives are aimed at attracting Net users in the dial-up system who use around 20 hours a month. The cost of bandwidth has dropped by almost 20 per cent.
Reports indicate that Hathway will not expand the cable Internet service to new areas. Hyderabad will be the only new territory of expansion in the near future. Its service is currently available in Delhi, Pune, Chennai and Bangalore. In Mumbai the company operates from Colaba to Mahim. It also has a presence in the suburb of Chembur.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Kolkata Town Hall on Hooghly River
‘Bhalobasa Bengal Inspiring Bharat’ event on April 20 brings cultural icons, trailblazing women and leaders aboard a cruise to celebrate Bengal’s enduring influence.
MUMBAI: Bengal is about to make fresh waves on the Hooghly and this time the current is pure conversation. CNN-News18 is taking its iconic Town Hall format to the waters of the iconic Hooghly River on 20 April 2026 with a special edition titled ‘Bhalobasa Bengal – Inspiring Bharat’. The floating event will celebrate the state’s rich cultural legacy and how its ideas, creativity and spirit continue to shape the rest of the country.
The unique riverside setting draws on Bengal’s history as a cradle of reform, art and intellectual thought. The speaker line-up mirrors that diversity: cultural heavyweights Mithun Chakraborty and Sreenanda Shankar will share the stage with trailblazing “Devis” such as Tanya Sanyal (India’s first woman firefighter in aviation), Ipsita Chakraborty (Kolkata’s first woman bartender) and Reshma Nilofer Visalakshi (Nari Shakti awardee and marine pilot). Music will flow through the celebrated pianist-vocalist duo Sourendro and Soumyojit, while public life and governance will be represented by Smriti Irani, Leander Paes, Saira Shah Halim, Keya Ghosh, Rekha Patra, Roopa Ganguly and Babul Supriyo.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director, Rahul Shivshankar, said the event honours voices that carry Bengal’s legacy forward. Smriti Mehra, CEO – English & Business News, Network18, added that Bengal’s stories resonate far beyond its borders, especially as the state heads into polls.
From the first woman to battle flames in the skies to legendary actors who shaped Indian cinema, the gathering promises a rich mix of inspiration, courage and candid dialogue. In a city where culture has always flowed as freely as the river itself, CNN-News18 is turning the Hooghly into a floating forum for ideas that matter.
Tune in on 20 April on CNN-News18, CTV and YouTube to catch Bengal’s heartbeat in full flow.
