21285 - SCTE Broadband Dec2021 COMPLETE v1

8 Vol. 43 No. 4 - November 2021 Issue With the second wave of Covid tapering off at last and the third wave of Covid looking likely to be less devastating than first thought, the industry is dusting itself off and momentum is now building for a Diwali that will bring growth to a nation, an industry and a people that have seen some hard times over the past 18 months. The government continues to encourage growth in two major sectors: highways and the information highways. We have seen speed of delivery and execution increase at state as well as central level; both in reaching the kerb and meshing localities, institutions, community places with affordable and consistent broadband. The BBNL initiative continues to rise in villages and there is a drive in North East, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, Punjab, Chattisgarh amongst other states to drive broadband penetration. The Rural Development Ministry and the Education Ministry have also progressed in rolling out broadband across their various spheres of influence and responsibilities. The merger of Sony and Zeel is the biggest news this quarter, creating a brand new entity with the reach and creative output that may in all likelihood become an epicentre of entertainment. The cable industry retains a firmhold, and recently consolidated itself further to the agreement between Nxt Digital and Citi Cable, which has now been extended to more operators. It is testament to the hard work and dedication of Mr. Vinsley Fernanadz and his team that they reported a 13.5 percent growth and consolidated revenues at 266 crores in the last quarter. The 100 NXT hub project announced from Ranchi is a initiative with limitless possibilities. Fastway, Punjab, KCCL and a few other operators have planned their broadband By Rahul Nehra, Honorary National Secretary, SCTE ® India India in Focus scte india news Rahul Nehra is the Founder/MD of Jadooz Media Solutions. He founded and successfully exited Moving Talkies. In his financial career, he has taken various leadership roles in blue chip companies in India such as Irdeto, Latens, Intelsat and Exset. He is also a director of Celebridge and the co-chair of TIE Global: Media and Entertainment SG. Rahul Nehra Honorary National Secretary, SCTE ® India