iWorld
Sep-18: Wireline broadband subscriber base continued to fall
BENGALURU: India’s broadband internet subscriber base increased 3.89 per cent or by 1.805 crore (1805 lakh or 18.05 million) in September 2018 (month ended 30 September 2018, Sep-18, period under review) according to the latest Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) data. There were 48.170 crore (4,817 lakh or 481.70 million) broadband internet subscribers as on 30 September 2018 as compared to 44.518 crore (4,451.8 lakh, 445.18 million) at the end of August 2018. Broadband subscribers through mobile devices such as phones and dongles grew 3.98 per cent or 0.774 crore (77.4 lakh, 7.74 million) in Sep-18 to 46.289 crore (4,628.9 lakh, 462.89 million from 44.518 crore (4,451.8 lakh, 445.18 million) at the end of August 2018.
Wired internet services lost around 30,000 subscribers (0.18 per cent) in Sep-18 according to TRAI data. The total number of wired broadband internet subscribers declined to 1.799 crore (179.9 lakh, 17.99 million) in Sep-18 from 1.802 crore (180.2 lakh, 18.02 million Aug-18.
The number of broadband internet subscribers availing services through WiFi, Wi Max, Point to point, Radio, Vsat increased 81.67 per cent to 0.082 crore (8.2 lakh, 0.82 million) in Sep-18 from 0.045 crore (4.5 lakh, 0.45 million) in Aug-18.
Please refer to the figure below:
The top five broadband internet service providers constituted 97.86 per cent market share of the total broadband subscribers at the end of Sep-18. These service providers were Reliance JioInfocomm Ltd (Jio) – 25.225 crore (2,522.5 lakh, 252.25 million), Bharti Airtel or Airtel 9.929 crore (992.9 lakh, 99.29 million), Vodafone 5.182 crore (518.2 lakh, 51.82 million), Idea Cellular 4.79 crore (479 lakh, 47.90 million) and BSNL 2.012 crore (201.2 lakh, 20.12 million).
Wireless Internet
As on 30 September 2018, the top five wireless broadband service providers were Jio 25.225 crore (2,522.5 lakh, 252.25 million), Airtel 9.705 crore (970.5 lakh, 97.05 million), Vodafone 5.181 crore (518.1 lakh, 51.81 million), Idea Cellular 4.789 crore (478.9 lakh, 47.89 million) and BSNL 1.079 crore (107.9 lakh, 10.97 million). Please refer to the figure below:
The public sector BSNL continued to bleed subscribers in Sep-18. BSNL lost 0.022 crore (2.2 lakh, 0.22 million subscribers) in the month. BSNL’s wireless broadband internet subscriber base declined 2 per cent to 1.097 crore (109.7 lakh, 10.97 million) in Sep 18 from 1.119 crore (111.90 lakh, 11.19 million). BSNL’s wireless broadband internet subscriber base has declined to just half in Sep-18 from 2.195 crore (219.5 lakh, 21.95 million) as on 31 December 2017 (Dec-17) or 1 January 2018.
Vodafone’s subscriber base grew by 0.056 crore (5.6 lakh, 0.56 million) in Sep-18 as compared to Aug-18, but has declined by 0.063 crore (6.3 lakh, 0.63 million) as compared to its base as on 1 January 2018. This was because of its merger with Idea cellular in August 2018. The Vodafone India and Idea Cellular combine had to forego about 140 lakh (14 million, 1.4 crore) subscribers in six circles and revenues of more than Rs 2,000 crore in three circles as the merged Vodafone and Idea Cellular entity would breach the Department of Telecommunications (DoT)-prescribed 50 per cent cap on subscribers and revenue in the respective states.
Wireless Broadband Internet
As on 30 September, 2018, the top five wired broadband service providers were BSNL (9.15 million), Airtel (2.24 million), Atria Convergence Technologies or ACT (1.36 million), MTNL (0.80 million) and Hathway Cable & Datacom (0.75 million). Three of the top 5 wired broadband internet services providers lost about 10,000 subscribers each, while the other two – Airtel and did not show any growth.
Airtel added the highest number of wireline broadband subscribers in calendar year 2018 until Sep-18 with 90,000, followed by Atria Convergence Technologies (ACT) which added 80,000 subs during the period.
Notes: According to TRAI, Broadband internet means services with speeds equal to or higher than 512 kpbs.
TRAI provides data in millions and to the second decimal place, hence the granularity of the data in this report is 10,000.
iWorld
Why Peaky Blinders is one of television’s biggest hits that still deserves more attention
Six seasons, multiple awards and the release of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man bring the Shelby saga back into the spotlight
In the crowded universe of streaming content, only a handful of shows manage to leave a lasting cultural footprint. Peaky Blinders is overwhelmingly considered one of the biggest global hits of the past decade. Yet many viewers still haven’t fully explored the dark, gripping world of the Shelby family.
Originally produced for the UK’s BBC and later finding a massive global audience through Netflix, the series quietly grew from a British period drama into a worldwide streaming phenomenon.
Created by Steven Knight, the show follows the rise of the Shelby crime family in post-First World War Birmingham. What begins as a gritty street-gang story gradually expands into a sweeping narrative about ambition, politics, power and survival.
At the centre of the saga is Thomas Shelby, portrayed with extraordinary depth by Cillian Murphy. The casting of Murphy is widely regarded as perfect for the role. With piercing eyes, restrained dialogue and an almost hypnotic screen presence, he transforms Shelby into one of the most unforgettable characters in modern screen storytelling.
Murphy’s brilliance lies in his restraint. He rarely shouts or performs theatrically. Instead, a quiet stare, a calculated pause or a subtle shift in expression conveys the emotional storms within the character. Beneath the ruthless gang leader is a war veteran carrying trauma, guilt and loneliness. Murphy captures this complexity with remarkable precision, making Thomas Shelby both terrifying and deeply human.
Beyond its central performance, Peaky Blinders stands out for its unfiltered portrayal of reality. The show does not romanticise crime. Instead, it exposes the harsh social conditions of early 20th-century Britain, from poverty and class struggle to political extremism and the psychological scars left by war.
The series also presents powerful female characters who hold their own within the Shelby empire. Polly Gray, played by Helen McCrory, is the strategic backbone of the family and one of the most formidable figures in the story. Women in the series shape decisions, influence power structures and challenge the rigid social norms of the time.
Across six seasons, the narrative grows dramatically in scale. What begins in the smoky streets of Birmingham evolves into a story involving political conspiracies, fascism and international criminal networks.
The series has also earned significant critical acclaim. It won the BAFTA Television Award for Best Drama Series in 2018 and multiple National Television Awards for Best Drama, cementing its reputation as one of Britain’s most celebrated modern shows.
Another defining feature of the series is its iconic music. The show’s opening theme, Red Right Hand by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, became instantly recognisable and widely associated with the Shelby universe. Combined with a powerful soundtrack featuring artists such as Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead, the music helped shape the show’s dark, stylish identity and became hugely popular among fans.
And the Shelby story is not over yet.
In fact, its legacy is unfolding right now. The long-awaited feature-length continuation, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, was released on March 6, 2026, bringing the Shelby universe from streaming screens to cinemas and giving fans a new chapter in the saga.
For viewers who have not yet stepped into this world, the timing could not be better.
Six gripping seasons are ready to binge on Netflix. A new film has just arrived in theatres. And at the heart of it all stands one of the most magnetic performances in modern drama by Cillian Murphy.
So if Peaky Blinders has been sitting on your watchlist for years, this weekend is your moment.
So, by order of the Peaky fookin’ Blinders, consider this your cue to finally step into the ruthless world of Thomas Shelby. Pour yourself a drink, clear your schedule and press the play button. Because when the Peaky Blinders give an order, you listen.
