News Broadcasting
Reliance Infocomm launches full suite of ISP services
MUMBAI: Reliance Infocomm has announced a full suite of ISP services for its subscribers under the R-Connect service platform.
The company claims that apart from high Internet access speeds, R-Connect users can now enjoy email service with a 10-MB mailbox, the lowest Internet access charges and hassle-free connection as wireless lines provide instant and constant connectivity.
With a monthly charge of Rs 650, the new ‘Freedom Plan’ offers the subscribers an unlimited Internet surfing option with maximum data downloads of up to 1GB per month, informs a company release. For unlimited data downloads the subscriber can opt for the ‘Platinum Plan’ at a monthly rental of Rs. 1500.
As part of the default plan subscribers can access the net at Rs.0.50/min between 6:00 am to 10:00 pm and Rs. 0.25/min between 10 pm to 6 am.
“Our expanding R-Connect user base has already established us as one of the largest ISPs in the country. Our current user research shows that the availability of Reliance’s Pan India network and the ability to access Internet while on the move, is an attractive proposition for users. With the launch of these attractive data tariffs, the user can now economically work from anywhere and access internet using our high speed wireless data connectivity,” Reliance Infocomm wireless business head Kamal Nanavaty.
| Freedom Plan | Platinum Plan | |
| Monthly Charges | 650 | Rs 1500 |
| Surfing | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Data Download | 1 GB | Unlimited |
| Excess Data Usage | Rs.5 / MB | |
| Default Voice (inclu SMS usage) | 100 frees domestic SMS One e-mail ID of 10 MB on SMTP Server with MB Web Page space Call / SMS charges as per plan chosen by customer
|
100 free domestic SMS One email id on SMTP server with 2 MB web page space Call/SMS charges per plan chosen by customer |
The user can configure his or her e-mail ID in the Name@ricmail.com format. The right to create the user ID will be available through the phone number configured for the service and the password sent in a PIN number format to the user through an SMS. The user can send and receive messages of a maximum 2 MB size (with attachment). A 2 MB webspace will also be allotted to the user with a domain name such as www.ricmail.com/userid and explicitly support the hosting of WebPages in HTML and Java formats, adds the release.
News Broadcasting
News TV viewership jumps 33 per cent as West Asia war draws audiences
BARC Week 8 data shows news share rising to 8 per cent despite T20 World Cup
NEW DELHI:Â Even as individual television news channel ratings remain under a temporary pause, the genre itself is seeing a clear surge in audience attention.
According to the latest data from Broadcast Audience Research Council India, television news recorded a 33 per cent jump in genre share in Week 8 of 2026, covering February 28 to March 6.
The news genre accounted for 8 per cent of total television viewership during the week, up from 6 per cent the previous week. The spike in attention coincided with escalating geopolitical tensions involving the United States, Israel and Iran, which have kept global headlines firmly fixed on West Asia.
The rise is notable because it came at a time when cricket was dominating television screens. The high-stakes stages of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, including the Super 8 fixtures and semi-finals, were being broadcast during the same period.
Despite the cricket frenzy, viewers appeared to be toggling between sport and global affairs, boosting the overall share of news programming.
The surge in genre share comes even as the government has enforced a one-month pause on publishing ratings for individual news channels. The move followed regulatory scrutiny of the television ratings ecosystem.
While channel-level rankings remain temporarily out of sight, the genre-level data suggests that when global tensions escalate, audiences continue to turn to television news for real-time updates.
