Cable TV
MSOs among Top 5 fastest net providers, telco Airtel leads the pack
MUMBAI: Cable TV companies have begun featuring in the country’s top five companies that lead in providing the fastest internet speed and downloads.
Although lead by the top telecom company Bharti Airtel, the cable TV companies in the fast-net list are — 7 Star Digital and Hathway, according to the Netflix ISP Speed Index.
For the third time since September 2016, the average download speed on Bharti Airtel’s mobile network was measured to be the highest in January at 8.42 megabit per second (mbps), according to the latest data published by TRAI, the telecom regulator. Netflix Index also rated Airtel as the fastest ISP with 2.25 Mbps Speed.
Also, a Credit Suisse report published this month stated that Airtel 4G offered the best download speeds in general at around 12Mbps based on its study conducted across 30 cities, and that Vodafone, Jio and Idea were close to 7-8Mbps.
The average mobile data speed per month published by TRAI showed that the download speed on Airtel almost doubled in January from 4.68 mbps in the preceding months, PTI reported. The monthly average speed on India’s largest broadband service-provider Jio however reduced by over half to 8.34 mbps from 18.14 mbps peak speed that it registered in December 2016.
TRAI collects information and calculates on a real-time basis the speed of mobile data from subscribers across India with the help of MySpeed application.
The Netflix ISP Speed Index meantime also rated Airtel as the fastest Internet Service Provider with 2.25 Mbps Speed. The Index announced Airtel to be the fastest internet service provider followed by Spectranet, 7 Star Digital and ATRIA Convergence. While Airtel gives broadband services via cable, DSL, wireless and fiber, Spectranet provides its broadband services through fiber.
7 Star offers cable TV, digital Media, broadband and entertainment services. It holds an ISP license to offer broadband in Mumbai and is also the first HD content provider across India. ATRIA speed fell below 2.18 Mbps, and Hathway climbed a spot higher to pocket the fifth position with 1.93 Mbps speed, followed by YOU with 1.84 Mbps speed.
Meantime, in an attempt to check mobile service quality, TRAI has begun operator-assisted tests that capture real-time data to monitor the level of call drops and voice quality across multiple cities. The tests involves the telcos’ equipment and costs, with TRAI supervising the process.
The tests have already taken place in Mathura (UP-West circle), Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh), Jaisalmer, (Rajasthan), and Mangalore (Karnataka), among other. Tests are under way or slated to be conducted over the coming weeks in locations include Kalyan, Noida, Jammu, Guwahati-Dispur, Mysore, Hyderabad, Rajkot, Bhopal, and Jhansi, as per the schedule drawn up by the regulator.
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.
