Broadband
Showtime, Apple offer cable programming on iTunes
MUMBAI: CBS Corporation’s Showtime Networks and Apple today will be offering premium cable programming from Showtime, including recent Golden Globe nominees Sleeper Cell and Weeds, on the iTunes Music Store.
With the addition of Showtime hit programming, iTunes now offers more than 50 popular TV shows available for $1.99 per episode for viewing on a computer or iPod. The iTunes Music Store has had more than 12 million videos purchased and downloaded till date.
“iTunes allows fans of these Showtime programs to purchase and watch them in an innovative way. It is also a tremendous opportunity for non-subscribers to sample Showtime’s programming,” said Showtime Networks chairman Matthew C. Blank.
“We’re thrilled to expand the iTunes video catalogue with premium content programming from Showtime. With over 12 million videos sold, iTunes provides the best way for consumers to discover, purchase and download video online,” said Apple iTunes vice president Eddy Cue.
Showtime programming on the iTunes Music Store covers a variety of current and previous-season content. Programs include the first full season of Sleeper Cell, the complete first season of the groundbreaking Weeds, starring Golden Globe award-winning actress Mary Louise Parker; and the complete first season of Fat Actress, starring Kirstie Alley.
The iTunes Music Store features a selection of over 3,000 music videos, Pixar and Disney short films, a variety of hit TV shows, and more than two million songs from the major music companies and over 1,000 independent labels.
Broadband
Airtel and Jio surge ahead as Vodafone Idea and BSNL lose subscribers in December
India’s mobile base rises in December, but gains skewed towards the top two operators
NEW DELHI: India’s telecom market ended 2025 with a familiar split: the leaders sprinting ahead, the laggards slipping further. Fresh data from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) show Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio adding millions of wireless users in December, while Vodafone Idea and state-run BSNL continued to bleed subscribers.
India’s overall telephone subscriber base, wireless and wireline, climbed to 1.306 billion in December 2025, a monthly rise of 0.66 per cent. Growth was driven largely by wireless, which accounted for the bulk of new additions.
Bharti Airtel added 5.42 million wireless subscribers during the month, the biggest net gain among operators. Reliance Jio followed with roughly 2.96 million additions. Their gains were spread across multiple licensed service areas, underscoring broad-based momentum.
The story was starkly different for their rivals. Vodafone Idea recorded a net loss of about 9.4 lakh wireless subscribers, extending a run of monthly erosion. BSNL also saw its base shrink by around 2.06 lakh users. Despite marginal gains in a few circles, the PSU’s overall wireless base continued to contract.
Taken together, net wireless (mobile) additions across operators stood at 7.23 million in December.
Wireless subscribers, including mobile and fixed wireless access (FWA), rose to 1.258 billion, a net monthly increase of 8.21 million. Wireless tele-density improved to 88.41 per cent, though the urban–rural divide remained wide: urban tele-density at 140.66 per cent versus 59.07 per cent in rural areas.
The wireline segment posted modest growth. Subscribers increased from 47.05 million in November to 47.37 million in December, a 0.68 per cent monthly rise. Urban areas continued to dominate, while rural wireline tele-density stayed low.
Broadband crossed a symbolic milestone, with total subscribers topping one billion to reach 1,007.35 million by December-end. Mobile wireless broadband remained the primary access mode. In fixed wireless access, 5G FWA subscribers grew 5.59 per cent month on month, signalling gradual uptake of next-generation services.
Yet churn remains high. TRAI noted that about 16.12 million subscribers submitted mobile number portability requests in December alone.
The scoreboard is clear: scale is breeding more scale at the top, while smaller players struggle to hold ground. In India’s brutally competitive telecom arena, December’s numbers show a market that is still growing, but not evenly—and momentum, for now, sits firmly with the frontrunners.
