Broadband
Verizon slashes broadband rates to $14.95 a month
MUMBAI: It is a move aimed at encouraging Americans to switch from dial up services to a high-speed broadband connection. US communications services provider Verizon has announced a deal with Yahoo! to offer a new, fully integrated DSL service to Verizon Online DSL subscribers.
The service, named Verizon Yahoo! for DSL, combines the strengths of the two companies, including a range of broadband speeds at affordable prices and a wide variety of premium Yahoo! features at no additional charge.
Verizon’s marketing alliance with Yahoo displaces the earlier deal it had with Microsoft for MSN to be its web portal. Yahoo has created a web portal for Verizon customers.
Verizon has also introduced a new, entry-level consumer DSL Internet access service with a maximum connection speed of 768 Kbps (kilobits per second) downstream and 128 Kbps upstream for $14.95 a month with an annual service agreement, designed to attract dial-up users to broadband.
In June, SBC Communications had announced that it would sell broadband access for $14.95. But the low-cost service, though twice as fast as Verizon’s new service, is a promotional offering.
The pricing is aimed at converting dial-up customers and competing with cable companies. Comcast and other cable companies charge over $39.99 for high-speed lines.
The new service includes premium Yahoo! features valued at over $200 a year at no additional charge, including premium e-mail, 100 MB (megabytes) of storage, an all-in-one security suite and commercial-free Launchcast Radio service.
Verizon’s retail markets group president Bob Ingalls says, “We are breaking down the price barrier for people who want high-speed Internet service, but have not had a place for it in their budgets. With speed that’s faster than dial-up, and at a price that’s lower than many dial-up service plans, our new service will promote the use of broadband, attract more subscribers to Verizon DSL and further increase our competitiveness with cable modem service providers.”
“Our new DSL service and our alliance with Yahoo! reflect our commitment to offering Verizon broadband customers real choices and exceptional value. From the busy small business that shares large documents, to the young adult who enjoys online games, to the grandparents who enrich their e-mails with photos – Verizon offers a range of great speeds, affordable prices and superior content and services to meet every need.”
Verizon already offers Verizon Online DSL service to qualifying consumers with maximum connection speeds of up to 3.0 megabits per second (Mbps) downstream and 768 Kbps upstream for as low as $19.95 a month for the first three months and $29.95 a month thereafter when purchased with an annual service agreement or in combination with a qualifying package of calling services from Verizon.
Broadband
Zoff Foods extends Shilpa Shetty partnership into ninth year
Spice brand reinforces trust-led positioning amid growth and funding push.
MUMBAI: Nine years, one flavour and the recipe clearly still works. Zoff Foods has extended its long-running association with Shilpa Shetty, marking nine consecutive years of her as brand ambassador as the company scales its presence across Indian households. What began as a digital-first collaboration has gradually evolved into a defining element of the brand’s identity. Over nearly a decade, the partnership has mirrored Zoff’s own journey from an emerging challenger to a fast-growing FMCG player with a widening footprint across e-commerce, quick commerce and offline retail channels.
The logic behind the continuity is straightforward. In a category where trust and familiarity drive purchase decisions, particularly in spices and ready-to-cook segments, long-term associations tend to carry more weight than short bursts of visibility. Shetty’s positioning as a fitness-conscious, health-aware public figure aligns with the brand’s emphasis on purity and quality factors that are increasingly shaping consumer choices in modern Indian kitchens.
The extension also comes at a time when Zoff Foods is entering a more aggressive growth phase. The company recently raised $2 million in a Pre-Series B funding round led by JM Financial Private Equity, with participation from Aman Gupta, signalling a push towards expanding distribution, product innovation and market reach.
Company executives have positioned the continued partnership as a strategic anchor amid this expansion, reinforcing brand recall while entering new markets. For Shetty, the association remains rooted in shared values around authenticity and ingredient integrity attributes that resonate strongly with increasingly mindful consumers.
In a market crowded with new-age brands and shifting loyalties, Zoff’s approach suggests a different playbook: build slowly, stay consistent, and let familiarity do the heavy lifting. Because sometimes, in both branding and cooking, it’s not about reinventing the dish, it’s about perfecting it over time.
