Broadband

B’band deployment & investment barriers: FCC to develop state and civic govt codes

Published

9 years ago

April 22, 2017

MUMBAI: United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Ajit Varadaraj Pai has delivered his ideas at the first meeting of the commission’s broadband deployment advisory committee.

“Last September, at a startup accelerator in Cincinnati, I outlined my Digital Empowerment Agenda, a non-partisan blueprint for communications policy. At the core of this agenda was my conviction that every American who wants high-speed Internet access should be able to get it. I suggested several concrete proposals for achieving that goal—for promoting broadband deployment across the country and closing the digital divide. One proposal was for the FCC to create a Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee — a panel of experts that could advise us on these issues. How marvelous it is to see this idea put into practice starting this morning! And it is quite fitting that this first meeting is taking place during Infrastructure Month here at the Commission.”

“Deploying broadband is hard, expensive, and time-consuming work, whether you’re trenching fiber, attaching equipment to poles, or setting up a gateway earth station. Red tape shouldn’t make those tasks even harder. To me, it’s pretty simple: With rules that make it easier to deploy broadband, we will see more broadband deployed. And in turn, we can empower millions of Americans with digital opportunity,” Pai said.

“Now, when we issued a call for nominations to serve on the BDAC back in January, I was expecting a few dozen applications. I couldn’t be more thrilled at how wrong my prediction was. Over 380 individuals applied. There were nominees from organisations large and small, representing industry, government, and consumer and community organizations. From this diverse and highly impressive pool of applicants we invited 29 to serve on this new committee.”

“You are innovators and leaders in the effort to bring broadband and next-generation networks to all parts of our nation. Your work connects rural and urban areas alike, links people across land, air, and sea, and turns today’s dreams into tomorrow’s realities.”

“As members of the BDAC, your mission is to give the FCC recommendations on ways to spur broadband deployment and reduce barriers to investment. One important part of this work, which I previewed last fall, is to develop model codes for state and municipal governments that want to encourage deployment and competitive entry in their jurisdictions.”

“In fact, the BDAC is being asked to develop two model codes — one for municipalities and another for states. In developing each, the goal should be guidelines that are forward-looking and fair, and that balance legitimate interests of state and local governments with the ever-growing demands of the American public for better, faster, and cheaper broadband. I look forward to seeing how you approach this challenge.”

“The BDAC will also be asked to make recommendations on how to promote competitive access to broadband infrastructure, including utility poles. New concepts, such as “one-touch make-ready” and “right-touch make-ready,” have great potential to streamline the pole attachment process. The BDAC could help identify solutions for easing access that preserve public safety and advance the interests of pole owners and (would-be) users.”

“Another key issue is speeding up broadband deployment on Federal lands. Right now, it takes about twice as long to site infrastructure on Federal lands as it does on privately held land. Shortening that timeline could help prove the business case for deployment in areas where it might not otherwise exist. Here, BDAC recommendations could have a major impact on closing the digital divide, especially for rural and Tribal residents who live on or near Federal lands.”

“The thicket of issues I’ve identified makes one thing clear: the BDAC has a lot of work ahead of it. But I’m certain that this distinguished group is more than up to the task. And in the coming weeks, I expect to appoint more qualified nominees to round out the working groups, lending further support to the cause.”

Also Read: TRAI & FCC sign LoI on accelerating broadband deployment & aligning spectrum policy

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Broadband

Rabi Shankar Mishra takes charge as Airtel ceo in Pune

Seasoned consumer and telecom leader moves from Guwahati to steer growth and execution

Published

6 months ago

December 18, 2025

indiantelevision.com Team

PUNE: Airtel has appointed Rabi Shankar Mishra as chief executive officer, based in Pune, marking a sharp leadership shift as the telco sharpens its focus on growth, execution and market momentum.

Mishra moves into the role after leading Airtel’s Guwahati operations, where he built a reputation for tight execution and cross-functional leadership. In Pune, he will drive business strategy, operational excellence and expansion, drawing on deep expertise across sales, scale and complex, multi-market operations.

Before joining Airtel, Mishra held senior leadership roles across global consumer giants. He served as sales director at the Hershey company, vice president at Diageo, and held multiple associate vice president and associate director roles at Mondelēz International and Cadbury India Ltd, overseeing large, high-value businesses and teams across regions.

His earlier career at Pepsico India and Cavinkare laid a strong foundation in sales, customer development and route-to-market strategy across fast-moving consumer businesses.

With a rare blend of FMCG rigour and telecom scale, Mishra arrives in Pune to push Airtel harder, faster and deeper into its next phase of growth.

Broadband

Global broadband subs hit 1.52 billion as fibre dominates

India leads growth whilst Britain bucks trend with subscriber decline as satellite wars heat up

Published

10 months ago

August 6, 2025

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Global broadband subscribers surged past 1.52 billion in the first quarter of 2025, marking a 1.21 per cent quarterly rise as South and East Asia drove expansion, according to Point Topic data. Yet the picture remains patchy, with 22 countries—up from 14 in the previous quarter—seeing subscriber numbers fall as consumers shift to mobile broadband or grapple with economic headwinds and market saturation.

India topped the largest 20 fixed broadband markets with a blistering 4.7 per cent quarterly growth rate, whilst Britain stood out as an outlier, suffering a 0.3 per cent decline as fibre rollout failed to offset broader connection losses.

Fibre-to-the-home and building connections now command 72.34 per cent of global fixed broadband subscriptions, cementing the technology’s dominance. Other fixed technologies saw their market shares shrink, bar satellite and fixed wireless access, which bucked the trend with spectacular annual growth of 47.4 per cent and 29.9 per cent respectively.

The satellite boom was largely driven by Starlink breaching the 5 million customer mark, though growth has slowed due to capacity constraints and pricing pressures. Competition is set to intensify as Amazon’s Project Kuiper prepares for launch by year-end, with Britain expected among the first markets to go live following Ofcom approvals. Residential plans currently start at around £75 monthly.

Fixed wireless access is reshaping rural connectivity, particularly in America and India, with aggressive investments from Reliance, Bharti, T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T driving adoption.

Industry consolidation is accelerating, with potential mega-deals including Charter’s merger with Cox in America and a possible carve-up of France’s SFR among Orange, Bouygues and Iliad. Meanwhile, sub-Saharan Africa represents untapped potential, attracting significant infrastructure investment targeting broadband expansion.

Broadband

Act Fibernet plugs in Amazon Prime Lite for a double shot of value

New bundled plans bring high-speed internet to ACT subscribers.

Published

12 months ago

June 18, 2025

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Act Fibernet has struck a streaming sweet spot. The wired internet major has teamed up with Amazon Prime to offer its users a fresh set of broadband plans bundled with Prime Lite — a compact yet power-packed version of Amazon’s popular subscription service.

Designed for digital-first consumers who want speed and spectacle in equal measure, the new ACT plans include high-speed fibre connectivity along with Prime Lite benefits: HD access to Prime Video’s catalogue of originals, films, and TV shows on one device, unlimited Same-Day/Next-Day deliveries, early bird access to marquee sales like Prime Day, and exclusive shopping deals.

Act’s subscribers, both new and existing, can access the bundle by signing up for six-month (or longer) plans. Once onboard, Prime Lite perks remain active for as long as the eligible Act subscription is live.

Act VP, head of brands, content and partnerships, Naveen Nahar, said, “At Act Fibernet, our brand promise is simple — Feel the Advantage. It’s about going beyond the fast internet to deliver real, everyday value to our customers. With the launch of Amazon Prime Lite on our platform, we’re giving our users the best of entertainment, shopping, and convenience — all in one seamless experience. Whether its world class shows, free express deliveries, or early access to deals, this partnership ensures our customers don’t just stay connected, they stay ahead.”

“At Prime Video, we remain committed to offering easy and convenient access to our much-loved Originals, movies, series, and more to customers across India,” said Prime Video India director & head, SVOD Business, Shilangi Mukherji said, “This strategic collaboration with Act Fibernet not only simplifies access to Prime Video’s extensive content selection but also delivers other shopping & shipping benefits of Prime Lite, like unlimited free ‘Same-day/Next-Day’ delivery across millions of products, early access to exclusive deals, and much more.”

With this move, Act is no longer just a broadband provider — it’s a bundled convenience powerhouse. For subscribers, it’s all the streaming, scrolling, and shopping — at the speed of light.

Below is a list of cities and their corresponding starting rates for Prime Lite with ACT Plans: