DTH
MagnaQuest bags billing contract for Hyperia’s IPTV in Nigeria
MUMBAI:Hyderabad-based MagnaQuest has bagged a contract to manage the broadband and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) billing services of Hyperia Ltd, Nigeria’s leading internet service provider.
Hyperia has selected MagnaQuest’s convergent customer management and billing solution, MQSubscribe, for its triple play services. This will help support Hyperia’s increasing subscriber growth and value added offerings.
MQSubscribe integration with network elements, mail server for provisioning and mediation of services will form part of the implementation. Hyperia offers a wide range of services like internet access, email, web hosting, wireless internet access and value added services.
Says MagnaQuest managing director Vijay Debbad, “As we continue to increase our customer base across the world, and specifically in Africa, the choice of MQSubscribe by Hyperia is a testimony to the unique value proposition delivered by MagnaQuest. Hyperia is a premier name in the ISP services industry and we are proud to offer our CM&B solution to smoothen their operations.
Adds Hyperia Ltd executive director Sandeep Jayaswal, “Rating and billing of multiple services involves a number of challenges. MagnaQuest’s experience in providing such sophisticated solution to similar business models will enable us to handle these challenges. These strengths of MagnaQuest have convinced us that they can provide a cost-effective and customized solution that will suite our existing and future business model.
MagnaQuest Technologies provides customer care and billing solution for the video, data and content service providers. The company has a global presence with over 30 customer installations worldwide spanning Europe, Africa, South East Asia, Middle East and India.
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.
